


don't make it weird

by Love_Me_Dead



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, The Fake Dating AU No One Asked For, Weddings, respectful ogling, that's what i'm tagging that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:21:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23773762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_Me_Dead/pseuds/Love_Me_Dead
Summary: Malcolm needs a date for his cousin's wedding after lying to his mother. Rich people shenanigans and unbridled sexual tension ensue.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 164
Kudos: 284





	1. wedding bell blues

**Author's Note:**

> can you believe i'm writing a comedy??? i do not know what came over me, but i had this idea and i literally could not sleep because i was thinking of all the hilarity. enjoy!

Malcolm was having a good day. They had arrested the man responsible for drowning three children in the Pond at Central Park. His coffee from the cafe down the street was perfectly made this morning and the weather was perfect for walking to work this morning. It was a good day.

He had remembered to feed Sunshine this morning, he had remembered to take his meds, and he had even remembered to send his RSVP to his cousin for her upcoming wedding. Her wedding was a scant two months away, up in Rochester in some mansion or castle or estate. Either way, it was a humongous, gorgeous venue.

Malcolm left work, bidding Gil good night, before he stepped out of the precinct and checked his phone. He had a missed call and a voicemail from Mother. Rarely was a voicemail a good sign.

He glanced at Dani getting into her car and nodded at her as he began playing the voicemail.

“Darling! Harper received your RSVP - congratulations on remembering without my pestering. Unfortunately, she said that you did not add a plus one. I can specifically recall you saying that you would  _ finally _ introduce me to your little girlfriend at Harper’s wedding. She’s very understanding and amended your reservation for you. Don’t tell me your paramour is otherwise occupied that weekend?”

Malcolm shut his eyes and leaned his head back. The voicemail ended after Mother reminded him to stop by for dinner tomorrow night.

He would have to make up some excuse for his imaginary girlfriend - something that would not require Mother to send her flowers but would reasonably excuse her for the wedding. Mother had been dying to meet her, though  _ she _ did not exist.

Malcolm had been sent on a series of excruciating dates with women and men of his mother’s choosing - she was worried that he wasn’t even dating anyone and his thirtieth birthday blinked behind him. (She liked to remind him that she was twenty-four when she married his father). 

The first wasn’t so bad. His name was Simon and he was attractive enough but he showed Malcolm pictures of all of his exes - some of which were nudes. 

The second was terrible from the start. Angela was late and then argued with Malcolm over every decision he made on their date - from criticizing his choice in restaurants to asking if there was something wrong with him because he wasn’t drinking.

The third one started out wonderfully and ended tragically. He got drinks with a girl, Grace, who was wonderful and invited him up to her apartment afterwards. He accepted and she put on the latest season of  _ Game of Thrones _ , the episodes that Malcolm had not yet watched. Instead of making out on her couch as he’d hoped, she curled up in the corner and he could see she had Tinder open on her phone. 

After that, the dates became frankly embarrassing and Malcolm told Mother that he had met someone a few days later. He had hoped to drop the fake relationship after a while and act heartbroken but he could recall, just a few days ago when he wasn’t paying close attention, telling Mother that she would be at Harper’s wedding.

Perhaps his fake girlfriend - who he had yet to name - would break up with him shortly before the wedding and Malcolm would get to have a fancy weekend by himself with no expectations. 

Malcolm got home, fed Sunshine, and called Ainsley.

“I need one of your friends to pretend to be my girlfriend at Harper’s wedding,” he said. He rubbed at his forehead with his free hand. It sounded so stupid.

“I knew she wasn’t real!” Ainsley said. 

“Okay, great,” Malcolm sighed, “but that doesn’t solve my problem.”

“It proves that I’m the better investigator,” Ainsley said. “But Mom knows all my friends. She would see through that in a hot second.”

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t your boyfriend have a sister?” 

“Yes, but she’s currently studying in South Africa,” Ainsley said. “Don’t you have any friends? Talk to them.”

She hung up and Malcolm sighed, running his hands through his hair.

After ten years away from New York, how was it possible for him to have any friends who he could ask to accompany him to a weekend in Rochester? He didn’t have any friends when he had left for Quantico in the first place and the closest thing he had to friends were the people he worked with.

The precinct had its fair share of women but the only ones he knew were Dani and Edrisa - and by extension, Tally. Edrisa would be all too willing to accompany him to Harper’s wedding, but Mother knew her and subtlety was not Edrisa’s strong suit. And there was no amount of money that would get JT on board with Tally - besides which, she was four months pregnant and Malcolm did not need a fake baby to go along with his fake girlfriend. 

Maybe Dani had a friend that Malcolm could borrow for the weekend. 

“So, I got myself into a bit of a predicament,” Malcolm said.

He stood beside Dani in the kitchenette of the precinct while she fixed her coffee. She set down the carafe and put a hand on her hip.

“What kind of a predicament?” She asked.

“Uh, a social predicament,” Malcolm said. “I may have lied to my mother about having a girlfriend.”

Dani smirked, nodded. “This sounds like a very entertaining predicament.”

“I’m glad that my pain is entertaining for you,” Malcolm said dryly before shaking his head. “Look, my cousin’s wedding is coming up and my mother thinks that my nonexistent girlfriend will be in attendance - well, actually, I think she insists that my nonexistent girlfriend be in attendance.”

“Okay,” Dani said, laughing. “So what do you need?”

Malcolm cringed as he asked, “one of your friends?”

Dani’s smile flickered off and back on, but her eyes weren’t crinkled anymore. “I’ll get back to you,” she said, touching his shoulder as she passed. 

Malcolm wondered if he said something wrong. He wondered if he had offended her by asking for a friend rather than asking for Dani herself. It would just feel too much like a date and he was working very hard to separate his personal and his professional lives. Though, as a former Whitly, it seemed a Herculean task.

Gil approached with his Yankees mug in need of refilling. “So, what is this your mother keeps telling me about your girlfriend?”

Malcolm stumbled over his words. Gil wouldn’t tell Mother if Malcolm admitted his girlfriend did not exist but he wasn’t sure what Mother had told him. 

“I know she doesn’t exist, kid,” Gil laughed. 

Malcolm sighed. His cheeks burned. “But I can’t have her break up with me right before a big family event like this.”

“So take Dani,” Gil shrugged.

“She’s my colleague,” Malcolm said. He glanced over at her, sitting at her desk poring over a case file, finalizing the arrest report.

“So? Take her anyway. Then tell your mom that things fizzled out and you’re keeping it professional,” Gil said.

Malcolm blinked. Considered. The family were staying in the estate - it was a wedding  _ weekend _ , after all - and his room would only have one bed. But Dani knew how he slept. It was a better solution than trying to convince one of her friends that he was normal and that sleeping in chains was fine.

The only flaw was Mother, who would be furious that Malcolm had not told her that he was “dating” Dani earlier. And, of course, he had supposedly been dating his fake girlfriend for about four months already, which was a significant amount of time.

He found her again at the end of the day as she was sliding her jacket on and getting her things together.

“Hey,” she said, glancing at him before looking down at her desk. “Uh, my friend Rory said she’s willing to go and do “rich people things” if you’re willing to meet her for drinks first.”

Malcolm shook his head. “No, I think you should come with me,” he said.

Dani looked up. “I - I’m probably working that weekend,” she said.

“I talked to Gil about it already,” Malcolm said. “And - remember the time we crashed the Taylor wedding?”

Dani snorted. “And you made a God-awful speech about fathers that implicated George Taylor?”

“Among other… fine accomplishments… Anyway, I’m sorry I didn’t consider you earlier,” he said.

She smiled. “Well, I’d love to come do “rich people things” with you,” Dani said. “But you owe me coffee if I have to pretend to be your girlfriend.”

Malcolm beamed. “ _ Thank you _ ,” he said.

“Goodnight, Bright,” she said as she left.


	2. all too well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did someone say roadtrip au as well? no? oops, i wrote it like that. anyway, enjoy! this is one of the chapters were respectful ogling really comes into play

They drove up on Friday, hopefully to be in Rochester for a terribly uncomfortable dinner with Mother, Ainsley and her boyfriend. Malcolm and Dani both had the day off - mostly because Gil didn’t have anything for them to work. Or, if he did, he didn’t need either of them. Malcolm couldn’t decide which one was worse.

He spent the morning packing. He had coerced Gil into feeding Sunshine while he was gone. He had tried explaining to her that he would only be gone for two nights, that things would be fine while he was gone, and even though Gil smelled like cats, he was fine. Unfortunately, parakeets had fewer brain cells than he hoped and she simply twittered at him.

Dani knocked on the door as Malcolm finished packing his meds. “Hey,” she said as she stepped in. She looked somehow naked without her gun and badge. 

It hit Malcolm at that moment that he was about to spend five hours - longer than he had ever spent with her before - trapped in a car with her. What if she hated his music? What if he hated hers? 

“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat. “Um, all packed?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I just have to put all my stuff in your car.”

“Great,” he said, zipping up his bag. 

He locked the house behind him and helped Dani transfer her suitcase and gown bag to his trunk. 

As they got into the car, Malcolm couldn’t shake the feeling that things were awkward, that this was a terrible idea, and he couldn’t even take a lorazepam because he had nearly six hours of driving ahead of him.

Dani plugged his phone in and scrolled through his music selection. His palms were sweaty against the steering wheel as he backed out of his parking spot.

“You have Taylor Swift?” Dani asked.

Malcolm turned out of the parking garage. “Yeah, don’t make it weird,” he mumbled.

“I would have taken you for more of a… smooth jazz kinda guy. Not contemporary pop.”

“My tastes are wide and varied, what can I say?”

Dani clicked and shuffled the songs and the beginning notes of “Blank Space” pumped through the speakers of his car. Malcolm thought that this probably wouldn’t be too terrible.

By the time they were out of the limits of New York City, both of them were screaming the lyrics to “All Too Well”, laughing at themselves when the song ended.

“I  _ loved _ that song,” Dani said. “I was nineteen when it came out and I was going into my sophomore year of college.” She snorted. “I thought I was so grown up.”

Malcolm glanced over. It was smooth highway driving now, gone from the gridlock of the City. “Yeah? You had a bad breakup or something?” 

She looked out the window at the trees and the passing greenery. “No,” she said. “It reminded me of my dad.”

“Oh, right,” Malcolm said. “He died when you were sixteen, right?”

“Yeah.”

The soft opening notes of “Lover” started to play. Malcolm readjusted his grip on the steering wheel. Dani leaned against the window and it struck Malcolm once again that this was a terrible idea. Mother would know that they weren’t really dating and she would immediately call him on it. And his extended family would be there, all of the Miltons he hadn’t seen in twenty years.

There would be so much family drama. His uncle would undoubtedly make some crass comment about his father and his aunt would once again recommend that Malcolm try essential oils for his hand tremor. He was about to expose Dani to all of that, all the ugliness underlying American aristocracy. He should have hired a sex worker.

“Tell me about your dad,” Malcolm said. 

Dani looked over, brows knit together.

“Unless - I mean, you don’t have to - I was just - you know so much about my family…”

She smiled and took a breath. “He… he was a great cook,” she said. “Every Saturday morning he made pancakes with chocolate chips and the pancakes were so fluffy. I still can’t replicate that… He…”

Malcolm glanced over, worried that she was upset - that he had upset her - but he found her grinning instead.

“I think he was the exact opposite of your dad,” she said, laughing.

Malcolm snorted. “You mean he didn’t kill people? That’s a very low bar.”

Dani laughed. “No - I mean… He never killed anyone. But he was always really honest.”

“Oh, yeah, that is the complete opposite of my father.”

She smiled and looked out the window again and Malcolm took that as the conversation was over. 

They stopped in Binghamton for lunch and gas. Dani took over driving after that and Malcolm chose the music, opting for Queen instead of Taylor Swift. Their conversation mostly consisted of observations until they passed the turn-off for Newark.

“We should discuss boundaries,” Dani said, her eyes steadily on the road. 

“Boundaries, yes,” Malcolm said. 

She glanced over at him. “How much PDA are you comfortable with?”

He had forgotten all about the part where they would be acting like a couple, holding hands and kissing. “Uh…” 

“I’ll take that as none,” Dani mumbled. “When did we start dating?”

Malcolm stumbled over his words, making a series of false starts before he finally settled on an indignant, “I don’t know.”

Dani glared at him. “I have no idea what you’ve told your mother,” she said. “And, this was your idea.”

“Fine,” Malcolm sighed. “Uh, we’ve been dating for four months, so my mother thinks, and… I asked you out in an attempt to stop my mother trying to set me up.”

She raised her eyebrows. “She’s been trying to set you up?”

“It’s been a painful experience,” he said. “But, uh, you and I have been taking it slow… We felt no need to rush into things and… yeah.”

“This is going to be a disaster,” Dani mumbled.

They arrived earlier than Malcolm had planned, which was a good thing because it meant that they didn’t see Mother on their way in. 

The estate was everything Mother could have hoped for. All gilded mirrors and replicas of rare paintings, the space was elegantly designed from the reception to the stairways and finally, the hallway in front of their room. The staff immediately began calling them “Mr. Bright” and “Miss Powell”.

The room was lovely, if a bit stuffy and ancient. The couch was floral patterned and unforgiving when Malcolm sat on it. The walls were a satisfying shade of beige and there were fresh flowers on the coffee table in front of the couch. And there was only one bed.

With fresh, soft white sheets, the bed was definitely large enough for both Malcolm and Dani, but it was still just one bed.

“I’ll take the couch,” Malcolm offered. 

Dani looked at him as she hung her dress - still in the bag - in the closet. “With your night terrors?”

He shrugged. “If I roll onto the floor, at least I’ll wake up.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re both adults,” she said. “We can share a bed without it being weird.”

Malcolm looked at her sceptically. “I have debilitating night terrors and I almost stabbed my last girlfriend.”

“There’s no knives here,” Dani said, grinning. “I have a scarf you could tie your hands together with.”

“Oh, no need, I brought my Japanese bondage rope.”

Dani blinked at him. “Great,” she deadpanned. She scooped a bag out of her suitcase. “I’m taking a shower before we get dinner with your mom.”

The bathroom door shut behind her and Malcolm sighed. He had almost forgotten about dinner. He heard the shower start, the fan running, and then below it all, Dani singing “All Too Well”.

There was a knock on the door. Malcolm assumed it was one of the hotel staff welcoming them to the estate and offering him ten percent off all guest services or reminding him of the wedding in the morning. He opened the door to Ainsley, who stepped into the room without invitation.

“Did you find a fake girlfriend?” She asked.

Malcolm sighed. “Yes,” he said. “It’s Dani. She’s in the shower.”

Ainsley raised her eyebrows, grinning. “Oh, Dani? Weren’t you telling me just a few months ago that Dad assumed the girl you were dating was none other than Dani?”

“Yes, but our father is also in a secure psychiatric facility. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for dinner?”

“I’m making sure that your fake dating story sounds real,” Ainsley grinned. “Since, you know, I’ll probably be writing an article on it.”

“Ainsley -”

“How did you meet?”

“Are you serious? We met at work.”

Unbothered, Ainsley sat on the couch. “How long have you been dating?”

“Four months,” Malcolm said.

“Have you told her you love her yet?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes, ran a hand through his hair. “Ains…”

“It’s important! It’s for the story! You know Mom will pick it apart and I don’t want to see this fail!”

He stared at her. “You made a bet,” he said. “With your boyfriend.”

“Malcolm, his name is James,” she said. “And yes, we made a bet. He bet fifty dollars that you wouldn’t make it through the weekend without Mom uncovering your lies. So let’s go through this… What attracted you to her?”

He sat down next to her on the couch. “Her trust,” he said. 

“Is it weird working with her now that you’re dating?” 

“Of course not,” Malcolm mumbled. “It was at the beginning but we keep things professional at work.”

“So you’ve never had sex in the interrogation room? Evidence locker?”

He stared up at the ceiling, at the small but still elegant chandelier. “Ainsley.”

She laughed beside him. “I’m losing fifty dollars this weekend,” she said, standing. “You’re hopeless.”

“I’ll see you at dinner,” Malcolm said with a fake smile.

Ainsley wiggled her fingers in a wave and left. 

Malcolm had thought bringing Dani with him was a terrible idea and now it was confirmed. It was only three days - tonight’s dinner, the wedding and all the other festivities tomorrow, and then brunch on Sunday before they went back to New York City.

It would be fine. Malcolm had never been overly affectionate with any of his previous partners. Mother wouldn’t suspect a thing - she would be too busy trying to come off well to her semi-estranged family and pretend that she had never heard of Martin Whitly.

Dani stepped out of the bathroom with a cloud of steam and the scent of coconut. She was wrapped only in a plush white towel that hit her mid-thigh, showing off a lot more skin than Malcolm had ever seen.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, pulling the towel tighter around herself. “I, uh, I thought you left with Ainsley…”

Malcolm shook his head and politely averted his gaze while Dani rummaged through her suitcase and found some clothes before she ducked back into the bathroom. He tried to remind himself that he had to act as though he had seen her naked before, that seeing Dani naked was, in fact, normal.

She stepped out of the bathroom in jeans and a tank-top, the outline of her bra visible through the thin fabric. “Uh, sorry about that,” she said, avoiding his gaze. 

“It’s fine,” Malcolm said. “We’re both adults. We’re fake-dating, too, so…”

Dani nodded. Her cheeks were flushed, though Malcolm did not know if that was from her hot shower or this conversation. “Uh, well, bathroom’s free,” she said. “I’m going to do my makeup.”

He had watched through the corner of his eye the way she applied her makeup in the car on the way to the Taylor wedding that they had crashed together. It was gentler this time, the way she sat on the floor near the end of their bed in front of the full length mirror. Her cosmetics were spread out in front of her on the patterned carpet and she carefully applied each one in order.

Malcolm couldn’t watch her until it was time to leave. He took a shower - though he was partially disappointed to replace the coconut scent with sandalwood - and he tried to convince himself that this wasn’t a terrible idea.

When he returned to the main room, Dani had replaced her tank top with a blouse and she stuffed her phone into her purse. 

“Ready to go?” She asked, sweeping a curl behind her ears.

“They won’t let jeans into the restaurant we’re going to,” he said. 

Dani looked at him and rolled her eyes. 

“Their dress code is ‘cocktail’,” Malcolm said. “Ainsley might have a dress if you need one.”

“I have a dress,” she mumbled, digging in her suitcase again. She took the ball of fabric into the bathroom - their only respite from each other.

Malcolm tied his tie. He stuffed his feet into his shoes and tied them up. The bathroom door opened and he glanced up. Dani stepped out in a black dress with sleeves and a fluttery skirt and barely-visible floral embroidery. Her legs were bare below the knees. 

“Can you zip me up?” She asked, pressing her lips together and turning around. The zipper was only halfway done up.

Malcolm stood and walked over to her. Her skin was warm and her back was bare. He carefully zipped it up and hooked the closure together.

She turned around, standing too close. “Thank you.”

He had always been fascinated by dresses. He had heard from Ainsley and Mother that they were a pain, requiring strapless bras and shaving legs and worrying all night that the skirt rode up. But, God, after seeing Dani in nothing but jeans and leather jackets, he was surprised by how elegant and beautiful she looked in her dress, even though her chest was completely covered.

It was a completely different dress than the one she’d worn to the Taylor wedding but it was just as breathtaking.

They were second to arrive at the restaurant after Mother. She was already sitting at the table with a glass of red wine, peering at her phone. When she saw Malcolm and Dani, her eyes widened and she beamed.

She wrapped Malcolm in a hug before he moved onto Dani. “So this is the girl you’ve been hiding from me?” She asked. 

Malcolm glanced at Dani. “Yeah,” he said. “We’ve been taking things slow.”

“Mrs. Whitly, you look lovely,” Dani said.

“Please,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Call me Jessica.”

The three of them sat down and Malcolm wondered if he should hold Dani’s hand. 

“Tell me everything,” Mother said. “Where did you go on your first date? Not a billiards hall, I hope.”

Malcolm glanced over at Dani. “No, of course it wasn’t a billiards hall.” 

“We went lowkey,” Dani said. “A cocktail bar in Tribeca that I’ve wanted to go to for months. He let me pick.”

Mother nodded. “Wonderful,” she said. “He’s terrible at picking locations.”

Ainsley and James arrived hand-in-hand. The five of them shared a normal meal together, though Malcolm wasn’t sure how to act like a couple with Dani just sitting beside him recounting funny anecdotes.

After dinner was over, Mother pulled Malcolm aside, her hands firmly on his shoulders while Dani and Ainsley laughed about something and walked out of earshot. 

“You look enamoured,” Mother said. “I am so glad you’re happy, Malcolm.”

He looked over at her and nodded. “Thanks,” he said.

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “She’s a wonderful choice.”

“She’s great,” he said.

Near the door, Dani turned, searched for Malcolm, and smiled when she caught his eye. Mother shoved him away gently. “Have a good night!”

He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist in what he hoped was a natural move. Dani turned her head and smiled and their faces were so close together that it seemed inevitable. Malcolm kissed her quickly, a gentle peck that was over just as quickly as it started.

Once they were safely in the elevator back to their room, they separated to opposite corners of the elevator. Dani looked down at her feet, crossed her arms -  _ closed off, you fucked up _ .

“I’m sorry,” Malcolm said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “My mother was just telling me how she was glad that I was so happy and it - it just seemed natural but you never agreed to kissing and-”

“Malcolm,” Dani said, looking at him. “It was fine.”

He stopped, bit down on his lower lip. The walls of the elevator were mirrored - a thousand images of them extended off into eternity. 

“Kissing is fine,” Dani said. “I mean, we’re fake dating, right? Regular couples kiss all the time.”

Malcolm nodded. “Okay.”

“You just caught me off guard,” she said, squeezing his arm as she stepped out of the elevator towards their room.

Once the door closed behind them, Malcolm remembered that they were going to have to share a bed. Dani grabbed the same tank top she’d worn earlier and a pair of shorts and stepped into the bathroom. 

He slid his tie off and grabbed his pajamas - a soft cotton shirt and sweatpants. He had just unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it haphazardly onto the floor when Dani called from the bathroom.

“Can you help me?” Dani asked, voice muffled through the wall. “I can’t unzip my dress.”

He forgot about his own nakedness and stepped into the bathroom. Dani had removed her makeup - a stained makeup wipe sat in the trash can, and she stood helpless in her dress, her clothes sitting on the counter.

“I’m sorry,” she said, glancing down at the marble countertop.

“It’s fine,” Malcolm said. He unfastened the closure hook before he unzipped the dress. 

“Thank you,” Dani said quietly, holding up the front of her dress with her arms crossed over her chest.

Her eyes glanced down his abdomen - any other time he would have revelled in her checking him out but he knew that her eyes found the mark on his stomach where he was stabbed. The thick vertical line marked with eight smaller scars from his stitches. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just… I’ve never seen it before.”

“Should’ve seen my hand x-ray,” he said, wiggling his left hand. His thumb was still healing - he still didn’t have the full range of motion.

Dani snorted and Malcolm stepped out of the bathroom. He got into his pajamas and turned out the overhead lights and turned on their bedside lamps. He pulled his mouthguard out of his bags and considered hunting the room for extra blankets so he could sleep on the horrible couch.

Instead, he threw the extra pillows off the bed and untucked the blankets. He got his length of bondage rope, tethered it to the foot of the bed, and began tying it around his wrists. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Dani in his sleep.

Dani stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing cream into her hands. It smelled like lavender and ylang ylang. “I thought you were joking about the rope,” she said.

Malcolm shook his head. It was meant to wrap around a whole body, hog-tie someone and then some, but it would work to keep Malcolm from doing something stupid. He fumbled with the knot on his right wrist.

Dani stepped over and with her sweet-scented, warm hands, she tied the knot for him. “There,” she said. “Ready for bed.”

Malcolm grinned. “Thank you,” he said. 

She walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed into bed next to him. He tried not to notice how thin her tank-top was, tried not to look past the translucent fabric to her skin underneath it. Instead, he laid down facing the door and put his mouth-guard in.


	3. Für Elise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did anyone say "Malcolm interacting with his relatives"? no? too bad, have that. thank you to everyone for reading and commenting - you mean the world to me!

He woke up straining against the rope and crying out into the mouth guard. The unfamiliar hotel room took a minute to filter in and before Malcolm could think about it, he was trying to untether himself from the bed. He was kidnapped, he was in trouble, something bad was happening.

“Bright?”

Or not. 

Dani sat up and touched his shoulder and he could feel in her hand’s stillness how hard he was shaking. “Hey,” she said, her eyes squinting and her voice deep from exhaustion. “It’s just a nightmare. It’s not real. You’re okay.”

He took a deep breath and nodded. She clicked on the lamp with her other hand and squeezed his shoulder.

He slid his mouthguard out with a shaking hand. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I was expecting that.”

Malcolm looked over at her, her wild curls and the way she squinted against the light. “Go back to sleep,” he said. The rope was digging into his wrists and he missed his restraints. 

Dani squeezed his shoulder again, rubbed slow circles against his back. He was sweating, the light cotton fabric of his shirt sticking to his skin. He focused on her arm on top of the cover, the down of hair illuminated by the lamplight.

The nightmare was fading but his adrenaline was still pumping. Dani yawned - though she tried to stifle it.

“Does it help if I talk?” Dani asked.

Malcolm nodded. The only other people who had bore witness to his night terrors were his mother and his sister. 

“My baby sister used to have nightmares,” she said. “And I would make up stories for her. A lot of the time I would just use Taylor Swift songs - she was little, she didn’t care.”

Malcolm looked over and watched her. Carefully, he laid back against the bed, the restraints relaxing and no longer digging into his skin. Dani rested her hand on his upper arm. He had not noticed until now that her nails were painted - white.

She laid down, pulled the blankets up around both of them, and lay on her side, facing him. “My sister is twelve years younger than me,” she said, holding onto his arm. “She’s fifteen. She’s on the track team.”

Malcolm watched her. Drowsiness crept up on him again. 

“She loved One Direction,” Dani said. Her hand traced patterns on his shoulder. “Still does, I guess. She grew up with them. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.”

“I have connections,” Malcolm said. “If she ever needs any.”

Her hand stilled. She laughed and squeezed his shoulder. “I don’t think Dr. Whitly is a very good reference.”

They laid together in silence. Malcolm studied the ceiling. 

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“Goodnight, Malcolm,” she said, reaching over and clicking off the lamp. 

He blinked as he readjusted to the darkness. He could still feel the parts where Dani had touched him, the little patterns drawn into his skin. It was likely just the sleep deprivation but some part of him imagined that if he took off his shirt, he would see a gentle lace pattern where she had drawn.

Malcolm slept fitfully the rest of the night. At six in the morning, just as the light was beginning to change behind the curtains, he got out of bed. He managed to extricate himself from the rope and he padded over to the bathroom. 

The day of the wedding. Mother and Ainsley would no doubt be spending the day getting ready and would leave him alone, but he had nothing to fill twelve hours before they even had the ceremony. 

Malcolm stepped over to the couch and attempted to find a space large enough for him to do yoga. He didn’t have his yoga mat - though he could have easily brought it - and he didn’t have the calming voice over his speakers. He tried to focus on his breath rather than how much he hated travelling.

He took a shower after he completed a truncated yoga routine, relaxing under the hot water. An impressively deep bathtub sat in the corner of the room with complementary bath oils but Malcolm had not had a bath in years. He dried off and surveyed himself in the mirror with the towel wrapped around his waist.

He should probably shave. But he’d kept his face scruffy and rugged ever since he could grow facial hair - except when he was in Quantico and decided to experiment with a beard. He shaved it off nearly immediately when he realized he looked just like his father.

As if on cue, Dr. Whitly’s voice rang in his head - the disgusting way he crooned Dani’s name when he had thought they were dating. 

Malcolm needed fresh air. If he thought too hard about Dr. Whitly, he would inevitably manifest one of his mother’s horrible relatives into making snide comments about his paternal side. 

After a quick walk around the estate, during which he encountered countless floral deliveries and flustered wedding vendors, he returned to his room to find Dani sitting on the couch with a plate of breakfast. 

“I didn’t know what you like, so I got some of everything,” she said, motioning to the heaped plate on the coffee table in front of her.

Malcolm sat down beside her. She had a hoodie overtop of her tank top, but her legs were bare and pulled up against her chest. 

“Thanks,” he said. He picked up a scone and picked a corner off.

“Gil told me to make sure you ate something while we were here,” Dani said. 

“I understand breakfast as a concept,” he said. “But it’s just not the best meal of the day.”

Dani raised her coffee cup to her lips and raised her eyebrows. 

Instead of going on about the delights of lunch, Malcolm grabbed his own coffee cup. It certainly wasn’t French Press, nor was it the wonderful dark roast blend he was enjoying at home, but it was better than the coffee at the precinct.

“What other care instructions did Gil give you?” Malcolm asked. 

“Wash with like colours,” Dani said. “Tumble dry low.”

He snorted. “Neither of you has to worry about me,” he said. “I’m fine.”

“Mhm, well, if I understand correctly,” Dani said, “this is your mother’s side of the family. Who didn’t even like your dad to begin with. So I’m guessing they weren’t thrilled when it turned out he was a serial killer.”

“You’d be surprised, actually, the number of congratulatory cards Mother got from this side of the family when they got divorced,” Malcolm said.

Dani tipped a finger towards him. “Horrifying. But they’re also super rich - hence a black tie wedding in an ‘estate’.”

Malcolm narrowed his eyes. 

“This is probably going to be tough for you,” Dani shrugged. “That’s all I’m saying.”

“You came to protect me,” Malcolm said. “Are you carrying? Because I was going to suggest that before we go home tomorrow, we could go to Niagara Falls - it’s better on the Canadian side.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “I don’t have my gun,” she laughed. “And I’m not here to protect you as a detective.”

“I’ve been dealing with my father for twenty years. I’m pretty sure I can handle some stuffy extended family,” Malcolm said.

“Sure,” Dani said, nodding. She stood and patted his head. 

The bathroom door shut behind her and Malcolm wondered if Gil had planned for him to take Dani as his date the whole time. It was more of a Martin Whitly level of manipulation but Gil could have learned it from him in the first place.

The ceremony wasn’t until six o’clock, which meant Malcolm had nearly ten hours to fill. All he had to do was fix his hair and put on his tux and walk down to the ceremony space - all in all, he estimated it would take seventeen minutes. More if he had to tie his own bow tie.

He itched to go out to a museum, anything to waste the hours between now and the ceremony, but he doubted that Dani would go with him and he didn’t want to go alone.

Not since his vacation had he had this much free time. Most of that time was spent reading, anyway, and he had not packed nearly enough reading material. And he was trapped in this estate with his family, all of his mother’s side, and they had very few amenities. The views of Lake Ontario were stunning and the grounds were gorgeous and the estate itself was picture-perfect but it was, in practice, boring.

It was raining now, too, which would likely put a damper on the whole day. Part of him wanted to get involved in the inescapable wedding day drama. The rain meant that he couldn’t even take the time to go for a walk.

Instead, Dani suggested they explore the library. It was nearly as good as a museum and it was the best he was going to get if he stayed within the limits of the estate. 

The library was all rich red curtains, shiny hardwood floors, and 18th century writing desks. A parlor grand piano sat in the corner and Malcolm nearly shouted when Dani took a seat at the bench. No signs asked guests to refrain from using it so Malcolm merely clenched his fists.

“What are you doing?” He hissed.

She glanced at him and smiled. She cleared her throat, sat up straight, and positioned her fingers on the keys. “I took piano when I was a kid,” she said. 

The piano was perfectly in tune as she began playing  _ Für Elise  _ and Malcolm watched her, how her shoulders moved and her fingers danced across the keys. He had tried to learn piano, just as he had tried to learn ballet, but everything came to a crashing end when he was ten years old and his only hobbies became looking after Ainsley.

She stopped abruptly as the song progressed, after about a minute of uninterrupted playing. “I forget the rest of it after that,” she said with a laugh.

Malcolm clapped. “Brava,” he said.

“I was hoping you might dance for me,” she teased. “Show off some of those ballet skills.”

He laughed. “I haven’t practiced in twenty years, but I would be more than happy to break my ankle and get out of this wedding tonight.”

Dani laughed, tipped her head back. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders. Malcolm had glimpsed a flat iron in her suitcase but part of him wanted to snip the cord and instead study the pattern of her curls, map out every ringlet. But his Aunt Lucille would already make some jab at Dani’s race and though he planned to avoid her as much as possible, she would loudly point out her “nappy” hair if she got the chance.

“Malcolm?”

He looked up from Dani at the piano, where she was repeating the opening motif, to see his cousin, Harper’s brother Declan, standing in the doorway. 

“Hey,” he said, smiling as Declan strode across the library and grabbed him in a firm hug. 

When they were young, they were best friends. They were the same age and in constant competition - at least until they were ten years old and Malcolm stopped speaking. Declan had skipped a grade, gotten into Oxford, while Malcolm’s accomplishments - graduating with a GPA above three and getting into Harvard - looked like child’s play.

Now, Declan was married to some model and he had a Master’s degree and Malcolm had no idea what he was doing in terms of his career but he obviously wasn’t in law enforcement. 

“Uh, Declan, this is Dani Powell,” Malcolm said, motioning to Dani sitting on the piano bench. “My girlfriend.”

Dani stood and shook his hand, both of them echoing a “good to meet you.”

“Wow, nice work, Mac,” Declan said, elbowing him a little too hard in the side. “What do you do?”

Dani twined her fingers together and held them in front of herself. “I’m a detective with the NYPD,” she said.

“Thank you for your service.” Declan turned to Malcolm. “Are you still with the FBI?”

Malcolm ducked his head, scratched his nose. “Uh, no, I’m a consultant with the NYPD now. That’s where Dani and I met.”

“Interesting,” Declan said. “Hey, I haven’t seen Ainsley but tell her that was a cool interview she did with your dad last year.”

Malcolm felt his hand shake. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, you can tell her later at the wedding,” he said.

“Of course, yeah,” he said. “I have to go, but I’ll see you later, all right? Save a dance for me, Donna.”

Declan disappeared and Malcolm focused on the rug. 

“He seems… nice,” Dani said.

“He’s not, I’m sorry,” Malcolm mumbled. 

“You went by  _ Mac _ as a kid?”

“Only because Declan had a speech impediment when he was a kid and he couldn’t figure out how to say my name.”

Dani bit back a grin but her eyes betrayed her joy.

“Don’t worry,  _ Donna _ , I’ll make sure you get a chance to dance with him.”

Dani grabbed his wrist as he began walking away. He would hide in their room, watch Dani do her hair and makeup, instead of sitting down here and waiting for various family members to come and make snide remarks about his family.

“Hold my hand,” she whispered, falling into step beside him. His hand was still shaking but her grip stilled it.

They walked through the hallways, past Declan taking a photo of his wife by the grand staircase, and back up to their room.

“I’m sorry he’s a jerk,” Dani said when the door shut behind them. “Are they all like that?”

“More or less,” Malcolm said with a humourless chuckle. All of this was a terrible idea. They should never have been invited. The sting of rejection would have worn off far before the horror of a social function where Malcolm and his family were barely welcomed. 

She squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said. “If you want, I can tell them about all the times you’ve caught bad guys.”

Malcolm shook his head. “No, God, they would be insufferable,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. If they knew he had chopped off a man’s hand - though it had been successfully reattached - they would have a field day comparing him to his father. 

Dani grabbed her bag of cosmetics and took her spot on the floor in front of the mirror. 

“Declan and I went to the same boarding school,” Malcolm said, toeing off his shoes and sitting cross-legged on the bed. “He never joined in on the bullying… but he never put a stop to it, either.”

Dani frowned, met his eye in the mirror as she opened a rectangular box - an eyeshadow palette. “That’s horrible.”

“At least I had Vijay,” Malcolm mumbled. He watched Dani pick up her brush and dip it into a light cream shade before she tapped it on the side of the palette and pressed it against her eyelid.

“You two were an item, weren’t you?”

“Good detective work.” 

“JT said you had to just be friends,” she said. “We made a bet. He owes me ten dollars now.”

Malcolm snorted. “I’m glad that details of my personal life means monetary gains for you.”

She grinned and mixed in another colour on her eyelid, a soft brown that was hardly visible against her skin tone. “You’re bi?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. He’d known since he was a kid but he hadn’t been able to put words to it - and then 1998 happened. 

Dani turned around so they weren’t looking at each other in the mirror and she smiled. “Me, too.”

He smiled. “Just don’t tell any of my family,” he said.

She laughed. “So far, I hate rich people,” she said.

“I’ll buy you coffee for the next decade,” he said. “However long it takes until you forgive me.”

“I’m having a blast.”

Malcolm rested his chin on his hands and watched her as she carefully swept her makeup brush over her eyelids. She was so focused and he hadn’t even thought of this part because he only ever saw her at work, when she was fully made-up. Or, like that one time, on their way to the Taylor wedding, when she did it haphazardly with her fingers and a lot of swearing in the car.

He winced when she brought out a pen - eyeliner - and carefully dragged it atop her lash-line. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

“No,” she said, keeping her lined eye shut while the ink dried. “It’s just cold. Takes a lot of practice.”

Part of him was fascinated, watching her. Another part could not stop his eyes wandering down her back, the cinch of her waist, the swell of her ass.

He was not attracted to Dani Powell. He couldn’t be. It was bad enough that they were playing the part of romantic partners for another twenty-four hours. He couldn’t intertwine his personal life and his professional life like this.

He would get through tonight. He would get through tomorrow morning. And after that, they would go back to being friends and nothing more.

Of course Malcolm would take his only friendship and fuck it up.

Dani squirted foundation onto the back of her hand and dabbed a pink, egg-shaped thing into it before gently tapping it onto her face. “Having fun watching me do this?” She asked.

Malcolm shrugged. “It’s interesting,” he said.

“I could do your makeup,” she said. “You’d look hot in eyeliner.”

Immediately, he turned red and ducked his head. “Thanks, but I don’t think the Miltons would appreciate it very much.”

“I’ll do your makeup one day when we’re back in the city,” she said. “We can go out clubbing.”

The implication of them hanging out again after all of this, apart from work and apart from Gil ordering Dani to make sure that Malcolm didn’t hurt himself, made his cheeks burn again. 

“I’ve never been clubbing,” Malcolm said. It felt silly to admit.

Dani glanced at him in the mirror. “Why not?”

“I’ve never had anyone to go with, for one,” he said.

“I haven’t been in a while, but I’ll take you,” she said. “You’d just have to be cool with me potentially arresting someone.  _ So _ much cocaine.”

She applied powder over her face before she got a darker pressed powder and carefully brushed it under her cheekbones. 

“It’s cool when you arrest people,” Malcolm said. “I was never as badass.”

Dani grinned. “I always forget you were in the FBI.”

He thought about his apartment in DC - nowhere near as nice as his New York apartment, but still wonderful. His last long-term relationship had taken place in that apartment and he had been happy in that apartment. He didn’t know how to be happy in New York.

“It wasn’t nearly as cool as you think,” Malcolm said. “I spent a lot of time doing paperwork.”

“Special Agent Bright,” Dani said, enunciating every syllable. “Sounds pretty cool.”

Malcolm grinned. Like the oft-quoted Emily Dickinson poem, it really was the best of times and the worst of times. 

“Did you have any cool partners?” Dani asked. She dipped a fluffy brush into a round of pink powder and daubed it on her cheeks - blush.

“Well, you met Colette,” Malcolm said.

Dani cringed. “You really had to work with her?”

“It wasn’t so bad before she found out about my father. And I also had some cool partners.”

She blended the blush into her skin and surveyed herself in the mirror. “None as cool as me, though.”

“Be a lot cooler if you told me what JT stands for,” Malcolm mumbled.

Dani laughed. “Still on about that?” She asked as she stood. She dug the flat iron out of her bag and padded over to the bathroom.

Malcolm twisted his fingers together. They only had a few more hours to kill and Dani would no doubt spend it on her hair. He would spend it quietly watching her because this horrible estate didn’t even have televisions in their guest rooms. He hadn’t looked up their policy to see if it was on purpose or because paying for cable this far away from most of civilization would cost an arm and a leg.

Dani plugged in her flat iron and stepped out of the bathroom. She grabbed a round hairbrush and a bag full of pins and ties. 

It only took another hour until she was ready, her hair twisted up in an elegant updo. Mother had worn a similar style to a number of pre-arrest social functions. It was strange to see Dani’s hair so sleek and shiny. 

“You look nice,” Malcolm said.

Dani touched her hair gently with the pads of her fingers, glanced down at the carpet. She looked beautiful, even though she wore only a blouse and her pajama shorts. “I have about a whole can of hairspray in my hair,” she said. 

He smiled. “Thanks for coming,” he said.

“I mean, this wedding is a sit-down dinner,” she said. “Can’t pass that up. All the other weddings I’ve been to were either buffets or backyard barbecues.”

“That sounds so nice,” Malcolm said. “When I get married, I don’t want any of this.” He gestured vaguely at their hotel room.

Dani chuckled. “I want something fancy, but not this fancy,” she said. “This is a lot.”

“Gil would hate it if you made him wear a tux,” Malcolm said. “He complained about wearing a tux to his wedding with Jackie.”

“You went to his wedding?”

“Of course,” Malcolm said. “I basically set them up.”

“You have to tell me about that,” Dani said, sitting down on the bed next to him. 

“Jackie owned the ice cream shop where Gil took me after seeing my father,” he said. “She knew that we weren’t father and son, so she came over and chatted, and one thing led to another, and they were married within the year.”

She smiled. “That’s really sweet,” she said.

“She always gave me an extra scoop for free,” he said. 

Dani’s hand touched his. Like an electric shock, he pulled his hand back. 

“I’m going to get dressed,” he said, standing. Without looking at her, he opened the closet and grabbed his tuxedo before he took it into the bathroom. 

If he couldn’t even deal with her touching him, how would he get through tonight, where they would inevitably have to slow dance? He took a deep breath and splashed some water on his face.

He fixed his hair and put on his tux. It was, in every way, a traditional tux with a peaked lapel. He would have brought his other one, the Tom Ford one with a shawl lapel and gauntlet cuffs, but he figured it was best to stay traditional.

Malcolm’s hands shook as he attempted to figure out his bow tie. He had done it before, but mostly by accident, and they weren’t like ties where he could pull it loose and then just pull it over his head every time he needed. It was all practice and he rarely wore bow ties. He’d worn a clip-on to the Taylor wedding and he kicked himself for leaving it at home.

When he came out of the bathroom, he found Dani mostly in her dress, though the back was unzipped. She glanced at him. 

“Help me zip up?” She asked.

Malcolm nodded. He would deal with his cufflinks in a minute. He stepped over to her and zipped it up, though the end of the zipper started a little too far down. It closed near her mid back, but there was a high neck that closed with three hook-and-eye closures. 

It was black and made of a stiff fabric that Malcolm couldn’t place. Embossed upon the fabric was a floral design. The skirt swooped over his sock feet - an A-line - though it was tight until her waist but the high neck gave it an edge of conservatism.

“You look beautiful,” Malcolm said.

Dani blushed. “Thank you,” she said to the floor.

The focus of the wedding was, of course, Harper, but he knew that his eyes would be on Dani all night long.

Malcolm tore his eyes away from her and grabbed his cufflinks - plain, silver. Dani put her earrings in - silver and tear-drop shaped - before she fixed her lipstick and grabbed a clutch, stuffing her lipstick and phone in.

She stepped over to him, floating in her dress, and reached up to adjust his bowtie. She was so close that he could smell her perfume - citrusy and fresh with a note of star anise - and he thought only of kissing her. But he would ruin her immaculate lipstick and they weren’t performing for anyone right now.

Instead, she mumbled something about her shoes. Malcolm found his well-polished Oxfords and sat on the bed while Dani fussed with the straps on her high-heels. When she stood, shaky on the stilettos, he offered his arm, and she wrapped her hand around his arm. In her heels, she was the same height as him, though somehow in the mirror, she looked taller.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the discussion about tuxedos and Für Elise made me almost lose my mind!


	4. finally // beautiful stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a warning here for some racism in this chapter!!! it's not super overt but it's there.
> 
> also, i just want to lament how much time i spent researching appropriate gowns for a black-tie wedding. and, for a fic focused on a wedding, i realized that Harper, the bride, did not get any space in this fic. mostly because this had to focus on Malcolm and Dani and all the shenanigans. enjoy, and happy season finale day!!!

Mother greeted them outside the ceremony space in a deep blue dress and beamed when she saw them. They exchanged compliments and she had Dani hold her clutch as she readjusted Malcolm’s bow tie. Ainsley and James came down next with Ainsley in a sapphire-blue, sequined gown that fit to her body.

The ceremony space was moved indoors due to the rain. Originally, it was on the grand front lawn overlooking Lake Ontario in the distance. Instead, there were chairs set up, adorned with flowers, and little twinkling lights throughout the space. 

Malcolm was sandwiched between Dani, whose hand was wrapped up in his own, and his mother. The wedding was beautiful. Harper looked stunning in her sleek ball gown and she looked so happy when she looked at her husband, Henry.

Marriage, to Malcolm, seemed an inevitability. He would get married and have someone with which to share his inheritance and his life. And, if it were up to his mother, he would marry another aristocrat - though those dreams seemed to have died when his father was arrested. Perhaps he had not been to enough weddings but it seemed impossible to love someone so much to dedicate the rest of your life to them.

After the ceremony, the wedding party went out to take photos and the remaining guests were shuffled towards cocktail hour. Malcolm kept his arm wrapped around Dani’s waist, attempting to keep it at a respectful level, while they sipped their drinks.

His Aunt Elizabeth - who was his Mother’s cousin but whom he called Aunt - introduced herself to Dani.

“Malcolm, she’s gorgeous!” Elizabeth said.

Malcolm grinned at Dani. “She is, isn’t she?”

“I believe I saw you earlier in the library,” Elizabeth said. “Such lovely hips!”

Dani glanced at Malcolm before she smiled respectfully at Elizabeth. “Thank you.”

“Wonderful birthing hips, darling. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-seven,” Dani said.

“The peak of your childbearing years! Malcolm, hurry and marry her and have some children before her fertility decreases.”

He had to bite back a laugh as he nodded and steered Dani away from Aunt Elizabeth. As soon as they were out of earshot, both of them dissolved into giggles.

“ _ Birthing hips _ ?” Dani laughed. “Who  _ says _ that?”

Malcolm snorted. “I am so,  _ so _ sorry,” he said. 

“Holy shit, that’s the funniest thing anyone could ever say,” Dani said, covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed.

“That… yeah. Rich people are very obsessed with progeny.”

“Mmm, don’t worry,  _ darling _ , I’ll make sure to give you a son,” Dani teased, wrapping her arm around Malcolm’s shoulder and pouting her lips towards him.

He was overwhelmed with the desire to kiss her. “My mother would appreciate that.”

Ainsley appeared beside them with James holding her hand. “How’s your fake relationship going?”

“Keep your voice down,” Malcolm hissed.

“You two would be cute together,” James commented.

Malcolm wasn’t sure what the expression he gave looked like, but James shrivelled under it and looked away.

“It’s going great,” Dani said. “Your Aunt Elizabeth told me I have wonderful birthing hips.”

Ainsley snorted. “That’s fucking terrible,” she said. “I am so sorry. But, do tell me, how is the fake relationship panning out?”

Dani and Malcolm glanced at each other. “I’d say it’s going well,” he said. “I don’t think anyone disbelieves us.”

“Dammit, I did not want to lose money on this,” James mumbled.

“Why does everyone have a bet on my personal life?” Malcolm sighed.

“Because we’re trying to make a comedy out of an outright tragedy,” Ainsley said.

“Hurtful, thank you,” Malcolm deadpanned.

They went to refresh their drinks and on their way there, Dani stopped, laid a hand on his forearm. “Wait, is drinking okay for you?” She asked.

Malcolm shrugged. “You’ve seen me drunk before. And high.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “No, I mean, with your meds,” she said. “You’re going to take it all in moderation, right?”

“Gil told you to watch my drinking, didn’t he?”

“Or, I saw the pile of pill bottles in your luggage,” she said. “And I know you’re not supposed to drink on antidepressants.”

Malcolm shrugged. “It’s more that alcohol is a depressant and contradicts the antidepressant,” he explained. “It’s fine to drink on them, it just might make me drunk.”

“ _ Bright _ .”

“Okay, okay, I’ll take it slow,” he said.

Her concern, her admission that it came from herself rather than Gil, made his heart skip a beat. 

They moved into the reception space after cocktail hour ended. Malcolm could feel the effects of alcohol in his system, the warmth in his blood and the light fuzziness in his head. He wondered if Dani would have to tie him to the bed. He wondered if he would be able to handle that without getting hard.

The tables seated six and Malcolm was stuck with Ainsley, James, Declan and his wife, who introduced herself as Sophia. She was all fake tan and blonde hair and constantly tapping at her phone. Declan explained that she was an influencer.

“I’ve definitely seen her on JT’s Instagram feed,” Dani whispered. 

“Does he exclusively follow hot influencers?” Malcolm mumbled.

Dani snorted. 

A voice came over the speakers and the lights dimmed. They introduced, for the first time, the bride and groom, who shared a chaste kiss as they moved onto the dance floor. The music began as they swayed together, not dancing so much as just holding each other.

Their first dance song choice was that cheesy John Legend song. They swayed to the beat, the skirt of Harper’s dress sweeping the shiny dance floor. Under the table, Dani took his hand and squeezed.

He glanced at her face. Her eyes were fixed on the couple dancing in front of them, the lights reflecting off her eyes and making the makeup on her cheekbones shimmer. And she was holding his hand. 

She looked over at him and smiled, her eyes crinkling up at the edges were the eyeshadow ended. Their hands were linked under the table, away from people’s eyes. 

Malcolm was fucked. 

They had their first dance and dinner was served once the newlyweds sat down at the sweetheart table. Dani had the salmon with roasted carrots while Malcolm got herb-crusted lamb with asparagus. 

“Ainsley, that interview you had with the Surgeon last year,” Sophia said. She ate daintily, prettily, with small bites that somehow did not smudge her lipstick. “That was really interesting. What was it like to get so close to someone who has killed so many people?”

“Well, Soph, you have to remember that the Surgeon is her dad,” Declan said.

Malcolm gripped his silverware tighter.

“You never mentioned that!” Sophia scolded. “My goodness, really?”

Dani’s hand rested on his leg, just above his knee. 

“Unfortunately,” Malcolm said, smiling. “But that’s - that’s all boring stuff. Tell me about your career, Declan.”

“Oh, it’s boring,” Declan said, waving his hand. “Investment banking.”

“No, not boring at all,” Malcolm insisted. “I’d love to hear more about that.”

It was such a blatant lie and his eyes glazed over when Declan told him about the details of his job. He wasn’t sure why he needed a Master’s degree for anything that he did. It sounded like he had landed the job by virtue of being a Milton rather than his incredible work ethic or skill.

Sophia interrupted. “I want to hear more about the behind the scenes of that interview,” she said. 

Ainsley laughed airily. “Oh, it was just a typical interview,” she said. “Nothing special, really.”

“I thought there was a lockdown?” Sophia asked.

Malcolm and Ainsley made eye contact across the table. He raised his eyebrows and blinked at her. 

Ainsley shrugged. “Just a precaution,” she said. “Nothing serious.”

Malcolm thought about Jin lying on the floor of his father’s cell, bleeding and gasping for air, and suddenly, his dinner did not look tasty anymore, not with its red wine sauce.

Dani’s hand squeezed his thigh again, further up this time. He looked over at her and she raised her eyebrows as if to ask  _ are you okay _ ? He nodded and offered her a tight smile.

“It just sounds so creepy,” Sophia said, shuddering, “to sit across from someone who has to be chained to the wall. Like, he took  _ so  _ many lives.”

Ainsley sipped her wine and chuckled. “Yes, it’s nerve-wracking,” she said. “But you get used to compartmentalizing as a journalist.”

Declan turned to Malcolm and Dani. “So, Dana, right?”

“Dani,” she corrected. 

“Where are you from?” Declan asked. 

“The Bronx,” Dani said. 

“Oh, interesting. Where are your parents from?”

Dani shifted. “My Mom is from Pennsylvania and my Dad was from the Bronx.”

“What’s it like growing up there? It’s so, you know, full of crime and poverty. Most median incomes in the Bronx are below thirty thousand.”

Dani’s smile tightened. “I had a good childhood,” she said. 

Declan backed off and instead began talking to James, discussing baseball. Dani slid her napkin from her lap onto her plate and stood.

“Excuse me,” she said.

Malcolm looked at her. She was probably just going to the bathroom, but the context of her conversation with Declan worried him. He glanced at Ainsley, who was deep in conversation with Sophia about preferred self-tanners, and nudged her leg under the table.

When he got her attention, he jerked his head in Dani’s direction. She was heading in the direction of the bathrooms (though Malcolm couldn’t imagine that peeing with a skirt like that would be easy). 

“If she’s upset, go to her,” Ainsley mumbled, leaning over James and Dani’s empty spot. 

Malcolm excused himself and followed Dani towards the bathrooms. 

The hallway outside the bathroom was decorated with mirrors and a decorative grapefruit tree. Dani was not in the hallway and Malcolm thought it best that he not be caught in the ladies’ room at such a fancy venue.

She stepped out after a few minutes, her lipstick touched up, and she looked confused when she saw him waiting for her.

“What are you doing?” She asked, stepping over to him.

An uncle, perhaps a member of the groom’s family, passed them into the men’s room and Malcolm put a hand on Dani’s waist.

“You seemed upset when you left the table,” he said quietly. “I wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

Dani sighed, crossed her arms over her chest. “Your cousin isn’t very subtle,” she said.

“I’m really sorry,” Malcolm mumbled.

“You owe me a lot of coffee,” Dani said. 

“The fancy stuff, of course,” he agreed.

She smiled and touched his arm gently. Part of him wanted to kiss her. 

“You know how we’re going to deal with this?” Dani said. 

“Getting drunk?” Malcolm offered.

She pointed at him and grinned, wrapping her hand around his arm again. “Precisely.”

They stopped by the bar on their way to the table to refresh their drinks. Once dinner was over, the wedding party kicked off the dancing and Dani quickly downed her drink.

Still wincing, she asked, “you know how to dance, right?”

“I’m all right,” he said.

“I’ve got two left feet,” Dani said. “You’d better make me look good.”

They stood and Malcolm wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her left hand with his right hand. She rested a hand on his shoulder. The hem of her dress swept over the tops of his shoes and they were eye-to-eye.

It reminded him of the time in his apartment, when he was high off his mind, and he grabbed her and attempted to dance with her. This time, though, was gentle. He didn’t hold her in a vice grip and he wasn’t tripping out. 

He led her through a traditional waltz around the dance floor and he felt free to look at her since her eyes scanned over the room. Her makeup, flawlessly applied, and her lips, plump and enhanced with lipstick. The soft baby hairs at her forehead that had been pasted down with her hairspray. The way her earrings sat, gently bumped against her neck every time she swayed.

The bride was meant to be the focal point of the wedding but Malcolm had only eyes from Dani.

He had spent so many years searching, yearning for trust from another person, who would look past his paternity and trust him, and he had found her. Maybe he could let himself fall and trust that he wouldn’t be hurt.

“Your mother is watching,” Dani murmured.

Malcolm glanced over his shoulder. Still seated at her table with her brother and their cousin, Mother looked at them with her hand pressed to her chest. 

The song was starting to fade and there was only one logical conclusion. With a whispered apology, Malcolm leaned in and kissed Dani. She reciprocated, kissed him back, and her hand leapt from his shoulder to his jaw.

He had to remind himself that he should be chaste. He pulled away and leaned their foreheads together.

“Not bad, Bright,” she said, grinning. Her lipstick was smudged, rubbed off the centre of her lips. Her hand came up and with her thumb, she rubbed off a blemish of lipstick from his lip.

“The dancing, right?” He teased. 

The next song was upbeat and Dani excused herself to get a drink of water. Malcolm stepped over to his mother, who was chatting with her cousin, his Uncle Robert.

“All I’m saying is that Tinder is  _ not _ the place for you, Jess,” he said. “If you want to find a  _ real _ man, I’ll set you up with one of my buddies.”

Malcolm sat next to Mother.

“Well, I appreciate the offer, Robbie,” Mother said, her smile tight.

Uncle Robert disappeared and Mother immediately took his hand. 

“ _ God _ , this was a terrible idea,” she said through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath before she softened and beamed at him. “But, darling, you and Dani…”

He grinned, glanced at Dani chatting with Ainsley and James.

“I didn’t know things were so serious,” Mother said.

“What? No, it’s nothing serious,” he said.

“ _ Darling _ . I have not seen you smile that much in your entire life.”

Malcolm scratched at his nose. 

“I expect your wedding will be less pretentious,” Mother said, glancing around the room. “These centrepieces are disgusting.”

“Mom, I’m… marriage isn’t on the table right now,” he said. 

She nodded, though the look on her face said she did not believe him for a moment. Dani approached, rested her hand on his shoulder. 

“Dance with me before your racist cousin gets a chance,” she said.

Malcolm grinned and stood. He joined her on the dance floor, even though he was not entirely comfortable with his general dancing skills. It didn’t matter, though, because he was three sheets to the wind and the world swayed comfortably. His vision lagged through the haze of alcohol and he did not care about the opinions of his stupid relatives.

He did not care that he was sweaty, or that he was drunk. He didn’t care when the night began to wind down and Dani begged him for  _ just one more dance _ . He did not care when Mother told them to be safe as they left the reception.


	5. no plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is explicit, which is why the rating changed overnight! i always feel very awkward about posting this kind of stuff but i hope you enjoy it!!!

Malcolm and Dani chased each other through the halls of the estate, hand-in-hand, up the stairs to their room, like they were fugitives. When they found their room, Malcolm stuffed his hand in his pocket in search of his room key.

“Don’t tell me you forgot it,” Dani laughed, catching her breath.

“No, no, I have it,” he said, producing it from his pocket. He opened their door and let Dani go through first. He pushed it closed and locked it once he stepped in.

Dani pressed up against him and pressed their lips together again. They were not performing. There was no audience. But Malcolm did not pull away.

She had him crowded against the wall, her hands against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. His fingertips found the open part of the back of her dress, the warm skin, as their lips moved together.

Her hand cupped the back of his neck, her fingers twisted in his hair, and his brain short circuited when she pulled away. His heart pounded - in a good way - and he pushed his face towards hers, wanting more.

The rational part of his brain screamed that they were both drunk and this was a terrible idea. The animal part of his brain only cared about the way Dani shoved his jacket off his body, the way she pulled him through the room towards the bed. 

“Unzip me,” Dani said, turning. 

His hands shook as he found the tiny zipper and pulled, unlatched the closures at the back of her neck. The black band of her bra stretched over her back and Malcolm almost thought about unlatching it until he remembered that his hands were shaking and his track record of undoing bras was terrible.

She turned around again, stepping out of the dress and letting it pool onto the floor, and her fingers went to work at his bow tie, at the buttons of his shirt. She kissed him again, before Malcolm could get a good view of her standing mostly naked in front of him, and her hands snaked under his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders.

He didn’t care about anything else but the feeling of her bare skin under his hand, her naked waist and her soft skin, scented with coconut and the perfume she wore earlier.

Malcolm attempted to toe off his shoes but toppled backwards onto the bed, the plush sheets breaking the fall. Dani laughed and he couldn’t take his eyes off her, grinning like an idiot, as she climbed on top of him. It had not struck him before that moment that they were hurtling towards having sex, towards making everything between them irrevocably different.

He didn’t want to make things weird, but he didn’t want to stop now.

Dani straddled him, hovering above him, and she kissed him again, hotter and needier than before. Malcolm returned the kiss with the same vigor, his hands on her hips as he tried to work up the courage to lower them to her ass. She pressed their hips together, grinded into him, and he nearly saw stars.

She pulled away and her fingers set about working on his pants. They were a perfectly tailored fit, requiring no belt, because tuxedos were all about being sharp and crisp and the interruption of a belt ruined the aesthetic. He didn’t care - he only cared that it didn’t take so long before Dani had him in just his boxer briefs and there were only two thin layers between them.

“You good with this?” Dani asked. Her hair fell out of its twist, straightened pieces falling into her face.

Malcolm nodded and sat up, kicking his pants the rest of the way off. They would need to be ironed unless he hung them up properly, but that was irrelevant. All that mattered was that Dani was on top of him, seeking his approval.

“Are you?” Malcolm asked, tracing his fingers over her stomach, making her shiver. He stopped at the top of her panties, ready to hook his fingers under the elastic as soon as she said the word.

Dani nodded, bit down on her lip, and reached back, unhooked her bra. Malcolm had seen a hundred breasts in his life but somehow, every time, it turned him absolutely feral.

He grabbed her hips and flipped them over so he was overtop of her and she was pressed against the sheets. He kissed her neck, drinking in the sweet scent of her perfume, and he knew that every time he smelled it from now on he would think of this.

“Grab a condom,” Dani whispered, grabbing the hair on the back of his head. 

Malcolm deflated, sighed. “I don’t have one.”

There were a hundred things they could do without a condom but Dani had told him to get one, and he would never pass up an opportunity to have sex.

Dani groaned. This estate was too fancy to have an attached store that would sell them a single condom for ten dollars. “Who would?”

“I am  _ not _ asking my mother.”

She laughed. “Ask Ainsley,” she said.

Reluctantly, he climbed off the bed and over to his discarded pants. He dug his phone out of the pockets and called Ainsley, wincing at the thought of asking her for a condom. Though, she had stolen condoms from his video game cases when she was a teenager.

“Malcolm, it’s past midnight,” she said. “It’s illegal to contact me.”

“Ains, I need your help,” he mumbled, chewing on his bottom lip. Dani watched him, grinning in amusement.

“Better be good.”

“I need… I need a condom.”

Silence. She laughed. “Dani? Damn, bro, get it. I’ll be right there.”

Malcolm winced and looked over at Dani, laid out and waiting for him. He ached for this to just happen, but he wanted her.

A knock on his door. Malcolm shuffled over, kept the security chain latched, and hid his mostly naked body behind the door.

Ainsley, her hair down and makeup removed, in a hoodie, grinned. “You’re welcome,” she said, passing him a condom through the gap in the door.

Instead of making conversation, he shut the door, heard her laugh as he locked it again. “That could have gone worse,” he said. He padded back over to the bed, shed his socks while he remembered.

Dani shifted, her fingers fussing with the waistband of her panties. Malcolm worried for a moment that she was about to see him naked, that his performance would be subpar, despite his previous satisfied sexual partners.

“You’re sure about this?” Malcolm asked, dropping the condom on the duvet.

Dani reached for him, took his wrist, and tugged his boxer briefs down to his thighs. “I want this,” she whispered, her breath warm against his bare chest.

He nodded and he didn’t have time to react before her hand wrapped around his cock. He opened his mouth as she slid her hand up and then back down. “Fuck,” he mumbled.

Dani lay back, slid her panties off and pulled her knees to her chest to get them off all the way. Malcolm had no time to be nervous before she pulled him down and kissed him again.

His hands did not shake as he grasped her hip with his right hand, his left tracing the soft skin of her inner thigh, over the gentle bumps of faded stretch marks, until he found her clit. He grazed his fingers over it, satisfied when Dani shivered and shut her eyes. 

“Jesus, Bright, just fuck me,” she said. 

He picked up the condom, tore into it, and slid it on. He positioned his cock and very carefully pushed into her. He stopped, tried to remember how to breathe, when he was buried balls-deep inside her. She whined, her hand clawing at his arm and her eyes squeezed shut.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah,” she said, opening her eyes. “Good.”

Slowly, Malcolm thrust deeper into her and he nearly broke out in a grin when she whined, when she pulled him down and kissed him hard.

He grabbed her ass, hitched up her hips, and fucked deeper into her. She moaned and he did not care if the entire estate could hear them, from the squeaking of the bed to the noises they made for each other. All that mattered was her body below his, her fingers digging into his hip, and watching her come undone.

Malcolm reached between them, his index and middle finger once again finding her clit and rubbing until she shook, until she moaned out his name and tightened around him. He swore, shut his eyes, and came hard into the condom.

Exhaustion pressed into him as soon as his pleasure washed away. He pulled out and collapsed against the mattress next to Dani. She turned onto her side, facing him, and kissed him, before she stood and padded over to the bathroom.

He removed the condom, tied it off, and tossed it into the trash beside the bed. He melted back into the mattress, his orgasm and the alcohol in his system making it incredibly difficult for him to keep his eyes open. He wanted to watch Dani return to him, wanted to press her into the mattress again and eat her out until she cried.

Instead, he opened his eyes in time to watch Dani, stark naked and her hair freed from its twist, pick her way through their discarded clothes back to the bed. She’d removed her makeup but she still smelled like citrus and fresh flowers.

“Come on,” she said, taking his hands. “Gotta tie you up again.”

He chuckled, peered at him through his eyelashes. “Gonna have your way with me?” He asked around a yawn.

“Maybe next time,” she said, patting his cheek. She grabbed the length of rope and looked at him. “How do I do this? You got it started for me last night.”

“I use a double column,” he said. “Shibari inspired.”

“Shibari?” Dani asked.

“Japanese bondage,” he said. “Watch.”

He folded the rope in two, creating a looped end - the bight. He wrapped it around his left wrist twice and folded the bight over towards his elbow before he slid it between the rope and his skin. He held the bight in place with his thumb as he twisted the free end of the rope to create another loop, which he then passed the bight through. He again slid the bight under the rope towards his thumb, and back through the loop, before he pulled on the free end to tighten it.

“Easy,” he said. “And, this kind of tie, a double column, makes sure that I don’t cut off circulation to my hand. It’s also super sturdy. I could dangle from one of these.”

Dani blinked and got to work on his right wrist. Malcolm coached her through it and she smiled as she pulled it tight. It wasn’t very pretty but it would likely hold him down for the night.

“That’s kinda hot,” she said, grinning.

He did not think he would be up for a second round. Thankfully, Dani slid under the covers, clicked off the bedside lamps, and kissed his shoulder. She curled up against him and he wrapped an arm around her as best he could with the restraints.

Perhaps, he thought as he drifted to sleep, he could learn how to be happy in New York.


	6. lights up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another quick warning for some casual racism! enjoy the awkward chapter!

He woke at nine to an empty bed. The memories of the night came flooding back in quick flashes: kissing, undressing each other, a condom. And now Dani was gone.

Malcolm sat up, anxiety pulsing through his veins. They had a wedding brunch to attend this morning before they left, before Harper and her husband went on their fabulous Italian honeymoon, and Malcolm would have to go alone. He glanced around the room and saw that her things were cleaned up and not gone; her suitcase was still open by the closet, where her dress hung, vaguely wrinkled.

The shower and the fan hummed. She was just in the bathroom. Malcolm took a deep breath and got out of bed, getting dressed in his sweatpants and t-shirt. Had it happened? Had he imagined all of it? He glanced in the trash beside the bed and found that, no, it had truly happened.

Malcolm set to work clearing up the pieces of his tuxedo. He stuffed them back into the bag and he took his meds. He had a headache, likely from a hangover. He checked his phone. Ainsley had sent him a winky-face emoji. Mother had reminded him that brunch was at eleven sharp and he was meant to be checked out before then, as well.

He set to packing, pulling out clothes for brunch. His skin was sticky from sweat and he tried not to glance down at his chest and see if there were any lipstick marks.

The shower shut off and Malcolm steeled himself for the inevitable conversation. Where would they go from here? What did this mean for them? Because Malcolm had been fighting his attraction to Dani for a long time. It was the reason he hadn’t wanted her to come with him in the first place. 

It took another five minutes before Dani stepped out of the bathroom in her cotton shorts and transparent tank top. Her hair was wrapped up in another one of the towels and she paused in the doorway. 

“Good morning,” Malcolm said.

“Hey,” she said. “Your mom texted me.”

Malcolm blanched. “Oh?” He tried to keep his voice from shaking.

“She reminded me that brunch is at eleven. Dress code: relaxed cocktail. Whatever that means.”

“I’m pretty sure it means ‘we all have a hangover, let’s not dress up too much’.”

Dani snorted and sat down in front of the mirror. “I’m going to do my makeup, but the bathroom is all yours.”

Malcolm nodded and stepped into the bathroom. The conversation would happen afterwards, no doubt. He took a quick shower and thought about the places where Dani had touched him, about the way their lips felt together.

He got dressed and fixed his hair. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Dani took it back, holding her hair dryer, and though she left the door open, the noise was too loud for them to have a conversation. Instead, Malcolm untethered the rope from the bed and folded it into his bag before he searched the room for anything else.

It struck him when he zipped his suitcase shut that perhaps Dani didn’t remember. She had drunk more than him and he did not know her threshold. And, if she was drunk, and they’d had sex… 

Malcolm’s hand shook and he took a deep breath. He just wouldn’t bring it up until they were back in New York City and they could talk about it without brunch looming in the distance. 

Dani changed into a floral dress that fell just below her knees once her hair was dried back into its regular ringlets. Out of the three dresses she had worn, it was the lowest cut, and Malcolm had to look away before he remembered seeing her naked last night. 

They checked out of the room, put their bags in Malcolm’s car, and Dani took his hand as they walked into brunch.

Malcolm had forgotten that it was a family brunch. His aunts and his uncles, Declan and Sophia - everyone he had hoped he’d left behind at the wedding last night. Before taking a seat, he congratulated Harper, who glowed in a flowy white dress.

He took a seat next to Ainsley, who elbowed him and winked. Unfortunately across the table from them sat Uncle Richard, who was a brilliant combination of vaguely racist and Whitly-hating.

“Ah, Malcolm,” he said, reaching over the table. Malcolm shook his hand. “Still got that weird hand thing?”

“The tremor?” Malcolm offered. “No, it hasn’t bothered me in years.”

“And you?” Uncle Richard extended a hand to Dani.

“Dani Powell,” she said. “I’m Malcolm’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, lovely to meet you,” he said. “Where did you meet?”

“We work together at Major Crimes in the NYPD,” Dani said.

“So, you catch guys like your daddy, hey?” Uncle Richard chuckled. “Must be fun for you.”

Malcolm plastered on a tight grin. “Super fun,” he said.

Dani squeezed his wrist under the table. “What do you do?” She asked politely.

“Oh, real estate, just like Jess,” he said. “Though, I never had to pay for a fancy divorce lawyer like she did.” He laughed.

“I wouldn’t call her divorce lawyer fancy,” Malcolm mumbled. To the best of his knowledge, the divorce had been cut and dry: Mother kept all her assets and funds because Martin was sentenced to life. 

“What made you want to be a cop, Dani?” Richard asked, looking over the menu. “I thought your kind of people didn’t like cops.”

Malcolm shut his eyes. Dani’s hand on his wrist tightened to a painful level. He turned his hand in her grip and he squeezed her hand.

“I wanted to give back to my community,” Dani said. He had never heard her voice so tight. 

Richard nodded and peered at the menu. 

“So, Ainsley,” Malcolm said pointedly. 

Ainsley turned, grinned, and jumped into a discussion with Dani about what lipstick she was wearing. Malcolm tuned out, glanced at his mother at the other end of the table with her brother, laughing uncomfortably. The restaurant played that new, overplayed Harry Styles song. He tried to catch the lyrics to remember the title.

Uncle Richard’s wife-du-jour joined them, apologizing for the delay. He did not know much about her but he knew that she was the same age as him, perhaps a little younger. If Malcolm remembered correctly, Celeste was Richard’s fourth wife.

She joined Ainsley and Dani’s conversation about cosmetics. “Have you tried any of the Fenty Beauty foundations?” She asked.

“No, not yet, but I’ve heard they’re great,” Dani said.

“Oh,” Celeste said, “I would’ve thought that you would be into that. You know, with your complexion.”

Malcolm wanted to disappear. He squeezed Dani’s hand again.

“I’m not - I’m not super into makeup,” Dani said, attempting to play it off with a breathy laugh.

“You look gorgeous without it, anyway,” Malcolm said.

Celeste rested her chin on her hands. “Aww, that’s so sweet!”

Dani looked at him, her expression softening. She squeezed his hand.

“Have you thought of proposing yet, Malcolm?” Celeste asked.

His face grew hot. “Uhh…”

“Yeah, Malcolm,” Ainsley said, smirking. “Have you thought about that?”

“No, no, not yet,” he said. “Uh, we are taking things slow.”

Dani bit down on her lip, attempting to hide her amusement. 

It was the most awkward meal that Malcolm had ever had to sit through. Celeste noticed that Malcolm didn’t eat very much and asked him if he had an eating disorder and then spent at least ten minutes listing all the benefits of CBD oil. She ended her spiel by suggesting he try weed in general. Malcolm did not want to remind her that he worked with the NYPD.

As soon as brunch began to break up, Malcolm said his goodbyes, congratulated Harper, and quickly removed himself and Dani from the estate. 

Dani offered to drive. Malcolm’s hands were still shaking. She plugged her phone into the aux cord and told him to pick something.

“Dani, I’m really sorry about them,” Malcolm said. 

She glanced at him, drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. She opened her mouth.

“Please don’t tell me it’s okay,” he said. “It’s not. They were horrible to you.”

“I mean, I expected it,” Dani said. “Come on, pick some music.”

Malcolm scrolled through her music library. There were so many artists he hadn’t heard of and a thousand more that he had heard of. Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Little Mix. He clicked on the new Harry Styles album and hit shuffle - “Lights Up” started slow, the bass pumping through the car.

“Were you into One Direction?” Malcolm asked. He could still see Ainsley, sixteen, dancing with her friends to “What Makes You Beautiful”.

“Yeah,” Dani said. “They were my favourite when I was in college.”

Malcolm chuckled. “Did you cry when Zayn left?” 

“Yeah,” she said. “Don’t make it weird.”

Malcolm grinned and watched her as she drove, her eyes on the road and her hair falling in free curls over her shoulder.

“Thanks for trying to have my back,” Dani said. “They were pretty brutal to you, too.”

Malcolm nestled against the window, scowling out at the passing scenery. “I never should’ve come.”

“Don’t say that,” Dani said.

He glanced over at her and, yes, he was glad that he came. Otherwise, last night never would have happened between them. They still hadn’t discussed it but Malcolm figured that it could wait until they were back in New York City. He would invite her up for a drink - or maybe tea - and they would talk about it.

He wanted more. They could keep things professional at work, never tell JT about it, keep things somewhat normal between the two of them. They could test it out. See if it worked. 

They swapped driving again halfway through, but this time they cut through Pennsylvania on the way home. The drive home seemed faster than the drive up and he pulled into his parking spot shortly before six.

Dani unplugged her phone, cut the music, and smiled at him. “Thanks for a great weekend,” she said, stepping out of the car.

Malcolm clambered out. It felt strange to walk after so many hours trapped in the car; he popped the trunk.

“Did you want to come up for a drink?” He asked. “Or - or some tea. Whichever one.” He tried his best at a reassuring smile, but he was certain that he came off as constipated.

“Uh, I’d love to, but I’m pretty tired and I have to be at work early, so I think I’m just going to turn in,” Dani said.

“Yeah, of course,” Malcolm said. “For sure. Rain check.”

Dani started grabbing her things out of the trunk and Malcolm rushed over to help her, even though her bag wasn’t very heavy.

“Thanks for an entertaining weekend,” Dani said, squeezing his shoulder. She grabbed her own car keys, transferred everything into her car.

“Yeah, I owe you coffee,” Malcolm said. 

“Have a good night,” Dani said, climbing into her car. 

Malcolm waved stiffly, watched her drive away before he grabbed his own things and took them upstairs to his apartment. Sunshine greeted him with a loud tweet and he dropped his bags to open her cage.

It was for the best that Dani hadn’t come up. Sunshine would be so loud and she would get in the way of everything. 

She was well-fed, recently watered, and the newspaper on the bottom of her cage had been changed. Malcolm petted her head gently and thought about getting another pet. Maybe a dog. Mother was painfully allergic, but it would keep her out of his apartment.

Malcolm unpacked while Sunshine followed him around the apartment. When he was done, he grabbed a Red Vine from the jar. Dinner. Being around the Miltons had killed his appetite and he considered for a moment trying to procure some weed.

He’d tried it once at boarding school and he became so paranoid that Vijay had to take him to the school nurse because he thought he was dying. But it had been about fifteen years since then - why not try again? Maybe, at least, he would have an appetite.

The intercom buzzed and Malcolm glared at the door. They buzzed again and he sighed, pushed the intercom. “Hello?”

“It’s Ainsley! Let me in, I’m freezing!”

Rolling his eyes, he buzzed her in and sat at the counter as he waited for her, munching on his Red Vine. 

She came in, in the same outfit from earlier, her loose curls flattening back into their natural straightness.

“I’d offer you a Red Vine, but-”

“Twizzlers are better,” Ainsley said, sitting down next to him. “Where’s your girlfriend?”

“Ainsley, she isn’t-”

“Oh? Then why did you two have sex last night? Or, did you forget that I gave you a condom?”

Malcolm ran a hand over his face. 

“You had a six hour drive to talk to her about it!” Ainsley said.

“I didn’t want to corner her,” Malcolm said. “And then I asked her to come upstairs for a drink, but she wanted to get home. She has work tomorrow morning.”

Ainsley raised her eyebrows. 

“Besides, we were both drunk,” he said. 

“You had like, two drinks,” Ainsley said. “And she had three.”

“I have a notoriously low tolerance. And three drinks is enough to get drunk.”

“She had those drinks with canapes and a meal over the whole night. She might’ve been tipsy, but she knew what she was doing.”

Malcolm sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

Ainsley sat back and examined him. “You like her,” she said.

“ _ Yes _ ,” Malcolm mumbled. 

“You’re pathetic when you’re in love,” she said. “Just talk to her.”

“I fucked it up bringing her to this wedding. All our relatives are racist.”

“You need to sleep.”

Malcolm sighed. 

“Malcolm, just go to sleep and think about it in the morning,” Ainsley said. “You get depressed when you’re tired.”

She stood, ruffled his hair, and left. Malcolm finished his “dinner”, took a shower, and attempted to sleep.


	7. more than words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, did someone say angst??? also, my sincerest apologies for the very terrible crime. i'm not very good at creating fake crimes so i just kind of winged it and that wasn't the best idea. ALSO this chapter features me pretending to know about fahrenheit. that shit is bananas.

Malcolm woke with a gasp, pulling on his restraints. It was not a nightmare, though, but a very good dream. Dani, in his bed, crawling on top of him and kissing him, smelling of flowers and citrus and coconut. Laughing as she cupped his cheek, smiling as they made out.

Domestic, sexy, and impossible. Weddings were emotional events - it was too much and they both needed an emotional outlet. That was it.

He slid out of bed and immediately into his yoga routine, with his yoga mat and his lesson recordings. He checked his phone once he was done - Gil had texted him and asked for him to come in at eight. He brewed himself coffee and got dressed before he remembered that he would see Dani at the precinct.

It would be fine, he promised himself. He would just act like nothing had happened. He would do his best to not make it weird.

Malcolm arrived to the precinct on time and JT greeted him with a nod. 

“Nice job this weekend, man,” JT said.

Malcolm blanched. It was only Tuesday - how did JT know about it already? “Uh, with what?” He asked.

“You know, at that wedding,” JT said. “Dani showed me pictures. You clean up nice.”

“Right, yeah, the wedding,” Malcolm mumbled. “Thanks. She looked better.”

“You’re damn right she did,” JT said.

Gil entered the conference room. “Bright,” he said. “I hope you’re relaxed after your weekend trip.”

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “Totally.”

Dani came in and sat on the table, nodded at him. She wrapped her arms around her torso and angled her body away. He tried not to take it as a terrible sign.

Gil introduced their new case - a strangling. Their victim - forty year old Victor Wells - was strangled to death in his home. His ex-wife found him when he failed to pick up their children from school.

They visited the murder scene. Knocked over vases, skewed photos, a dent in the wall. Signs of a struggle but no forced entry. Malcolm could hardly pay attention to all the interesting pieces of the crime scene - Gil noticed the stashed power cable, likely their murder weapon - because he was too invested in watching Dani.

The way she squatted down to study the blood droplets on the carpet reminded Malcolm of the way her thighs looked - when she was in a towel or naked and supine below him. It was completely inappropriate; they were at  _ work _ . He promised himself that he would speak with her tonight before either of them went home for the evening. Just ask if everything between them was cool.

Malcolm and JT followed up with Victor’s ex-wife, who was at work during the time of death. She was appropriately upset, worried about how she would survive without his child support checks, and generally grieving someone with whom she’d spent a long time.

The day wrapped up. Malcolm knew he would go home and work on his profile until his eyes ached from being open for too long. Before he left, he stopped by Dani’s desk as she shrugged into her coat.

“Hey,” he said, twisting his fingers together.

“Hey, you need a ride home?” Dani asked, pointing out the window. It was pouring with rain.

“Uh, I just wanted to talk to you,” he offered. “Unless you have somewhere to be, or something.”

“No, no, I’ve got time,” she said. “What’s up? Want me to run a background check on a new girlfriend?”

Malcolm breathed out a laugh and looked down at the floor. “No,” he said. “No, I just wanted to, uh, talk about Saturday night?”

“Oh,” Dani said. “Uh, sure…”

Malcolm had not expected her to leave it so open-ended. “Well, I mean - we… we had sex,” he chuckled. “I wanted to make sure that, uh, it’s not weird between us?”

“Yeah, no, of course,” she said. “Everything is fine.”

“Okay,” he said. “That was just, like, a one time thing, right?”

Dani nodded. “Yeah, absolutely,” she said.

“Great. Good. That settles it.”

“Yeah, good chat,” Dani said. “Goodnight.”

She stepped past him and out of the precinct. Malcolm let his breath out. His hands shook and his palms were sweating but the conversation was over. She did not seem entirely opposed to the idea of their encounter and he tried to take that as a good sign. He could ask her out tomorrow, invite her over for drinks.

“Hey, kid.”

Malcolm turned. Gil’s office door hung open and he motioned for him. He stepped into the office, hanging by the doorway.

“Come in, close the door,” Gil said.

Malcolm shut the door and twisted his left thumb gently in his right hand - just enough pain to keep himself grounded.

“What happened with you and Powell this weekend?” Gil asked.

Malcolm shook his head. “Nothing.”

Gil raised his eyebrows. “Bright, I’m asking you as a friend, not as your boss.”

He swallowed, stared off at the corner and found his wedding photo. Fuck. “Things… got heavy after the wedding.”

Gil twirled his pen in his hands. “Do you like her?”

He felt like a little kid, like when he was fourteen and he came out to Gil, the very first person he told that he was bisexual. His silence said it all. He bit down on the inside of his cheek.

“Uh-huh, thought so,” Gil said. “Well, you have my blessing. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your work - and I swear to God, if I find you in the evidence locker.”

Malcolm flushed but he nodded. “Thank you, Gil.”

He hardly slept that night. Between creating his profile and attempting to write a speech for what he would say to Dani tomorrow, he spent half the night in his office rather than his bed. He forgot to put a sheet over Sunshine’s cage and she woke him up at five in the morning, after three hours of terrible sleep.

Malcolm spent the morning finishing his profile, doing yoga, and trying not to freak out about asking Dani out. He could not remember being this nervous before. He usually based his date suggestions on people he found attractive, not friends with whom he had spent a year cultivating a relationship.

Unfortunately, his day at work was busy. They questioned Victor’s professional partner, Paul, who had a convincing alibi. However, Malcolm realized that their killer was Paul’s spouse, and they spent the afternoon taking him down.

He had nearly forgotten that he was going to ask Dani out until the end of the day. He caught her at her desk again, applying lipstick in the reflection of her computer screen.

“Dani - can I ask you something?”

She looked up at him. She wore more makeup than usual and her clothes were nicer - though she had gotten somewhat dirty arresting their killer earlier.

“Going somewhere?” Malcolm asked, thrown off track.

“Yeah, I have a date,” Dani said.

Malcolm blinked. “A date?” He asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, I saw a guy who I went to college with the other day,” she said. “We’re getting drinks.”

“Oh,” Malcolm said. “That’s great. Good luck.”

“You were going to ask me something?” She rewound her lipstick and capped it with a satisfying  _ click _ .

“Oh, no, I was going to ask for a ride home,” he said. “But you’ve got a date. What’s his name?”

Dani narrowed her eyes. “Paul,” she said. “You’re sure that’s all you wanted?”

“Mhm, yeah,” he said. “Have a good date.”

He tapped his hand gently on the half-wall by her desk before he turned and left. He walked the ten minutes home, even though it was only thirty degrees out and he had to wrap his coat tighter around himself to keep from shivering.

Malcolm poured himself a drink immediately upon arriving home. It was so stupid that he was upset about this. He was jealous and sad and kicking himself for not asking her out yesterday when he had the chance.

He sat at the counter and took a sip of his scotch. He hadn’t dealt with an unrequited crush in a while and he was unused to the sting. He knew that he would get over it, that it wouldn’t last forever, but he felt stupid.

They were both emotional and drunk and alone at the wedding. They had each other and they’d had sex and it was no big deal. He didn’t want to characterize it as a mistake but it was certainly a poor choice on his part.

His phone rang and he ignored it. If it was Mother, she would just break into his apartment to speak to him. It did not ring again and he pulled it out of his pocket to listen to the voicemail.

“Darling! I suppose you’re busy with Dani or maybe with a case, but I would like for the two of you to come to dinner on Friday night. I hardly got to spend time with you over the weekend and I would love to hear more about your relationship.”

Malcolm set his phone down and deleted the voicemail. He would have to tell her that Dani had broken up with him or he could offer Dani money in exchange for her pretending to be his girlfriend again. Though, if she was dating another man, he wasn’t sure she would be comfortable with that.

Memories of the weekend fluttered through his mind. Singing “All Too Well” together in the car, listening to Dani play the piano in the library, dancing with her at the wedding. He wanted a thousand more of those moments. He wanted to share a thousand more kisses.

It would never happen and things between them would never be the same. Dani would move on and Malcolm would keep staring and remembering how she looked when she came. Like a creep. He had ruined the friendship, his only real friendship in years, and he didn’t know how to fix it. Being with her romantically was his only escape, the only way to kill the awkwardness, and now Dani was on a date.

Malcolm stood and grabbed his jacket. He threw a scarf on as well - the temperature had likely gone down. He should have worn a hat if he was going for a walk but he didn’t care. He stepped out into the freezing world and walked down the street, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He thought he was just walking around the block, getting a breath of fresh air and clearing his head, until he found himself outside Ainsley’s apartment.

She was always better at romantic debacles. Malcolm did not want to admit how many times he had asked her for advice over the years. The only advice he had ever given her was to break up with the one guy who proposed marriage when they were both nineteen years old. 

Malcolm pressed the buzzer next to her name. She buzzed him in and he knocked on her door, feeling ridiculous.

Her loft was airy and open, showing all the stars in the night sky when it wasn’t overcast. He could remember trying to teach her all the constellations when they were little and he had broken out of the house onto the roof and she, little and fearless, followed him out.

“You’re freezing,” Ainsley said, padding into the kitchen and filling the kettle.

Malcolm slid out of his coat and shivered. Her apartment was warm but he was frozen to the bone.

“What happened?” She asked, reaching into her cupboard for two teabags and two mugs. She kept mugs the size of his face - twenty-four ounces.

“Dani’s on a date,” Malcolm mumbled, sitting on her couch. A blanket lay discarded on the cushion next to him, with a pen and a pad of paper abandoned on the coffee table.

“With not-you?” 

“Obviously, or I wouldn’t be here.”

Ainsley threw him a glare. “Don’t be a bitch,” she said.

Malcolm brooded towards the armchair across from him. “Where’s James?”

“We don’t live together,” Ainsley said, pouring boiling water over their tea bags. “Besides, Aunt Lucille danced with him at the wedding and I’m told she was quite handsy. I think he’s still recovering.”

Malcolm took the cup of tea from her. Chai.

“It’s from David’s Tea,” she said. “Maple chai. It’s very calming.”

He wasn’t sure how spices could be calming, but he took a tentative sip. Spice-forward with a kiss of maple flavoured sweetness.

Ainsley sat next to him and tucked her legs under herself, criss-cross. “So, tell me everything,” she said.

“There’s nothing to say,” he mumbled. “I stopped by her desk after work and I was  _ about _ to ask if she wanted to get a drink when she said she was going on a date with some guy she met at college. Paul.”

The name tasted sour on his tongue. It reminded him of John Watkins. He wondered how she could forget about it, how she could date a Paul.

Ainsley leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But you know, the date could suck. She’s, what, the same age as me? It’s been a while since college. Maybe he’s an asshole.”

Malcolm sighed. He tipped his head, pressed his cheek against the top of her head. “I shouldn’t have brought her to the wedding.”

“Can’t change it now.”

“She hates me,” he mumbled. “Uncle Richard and Declan and Aunt Elizabeth were all awful to her. I messed it up, Ains, and it was my only chance.”

Ainsley squeezed his arm. He had never been thrilled about physical affection but he didn’t mind his little sister, if only because it reminded him of the nights when they were young and she would come to his room when she had a bad dream. 

“Mom wants us over for dinner on Friday,” Malcolm mumbled.

“Tell her you’re sick,” Ainsley suggested.

“God, no. She would kick the door down and insist on taking care of me.”

“Maybe I’ll have a crisis and she’ll have to support me.”

Malcolm sighed. “I’m glad you got your fifty dollars from James.”

“I’m sorry you’re heartbroken,” Ainsley said.

He took another sip of his tea. It was, as most chai blends were, a little too bitter for his tastes. He glared over at her fireplace. Slowly, he was regaining feeling in his toes.

“She’s one of my only friends,” Malcolm mumbled. “And I ruined it.”

“You can still be friends with her,” Ainsley said. “You’ll just have to get over her.”

He snorted, set his tea down on the coffee table. “The last time I was tasked with ‘getting over someone’, I moved back to New York after ten years away.”

“Malcolm, your career does  _ not _ count as a romantic relationship.”

He snorted and he did not bother to correct her and remind her that his last long-term relationship ended only a month before he was fired. 

“But seriously,” Ainsley said. “Just… try to go back to how things were with her. Repress those memories.”

If he could selectively delete memories, most of his mental health issues would be fixed. 

Malcolm walked back to his apartment even though it was now in the low twenties according to the weather app on his phone. He tried not to think about Dani, out with  _ Paul _ , giggling and batting her eyes coquettishly. The way she had touched his bare skin being repeated on another man.

He was jealous. He had dealt with it successfully before, when he was ten and the other kids at school talked about how great their dads were before Father’s Day weekend and he ran to the bathroom to throw up. When Vijay became cool and left Malcolm behind. He would just have to move through the pain instead of flinching at it.

Malcolm shivered by the time he got back to his apartment. His hands were so cold that he could hardly get his key out of his pocket.

Someone stood outside his front door, wrapped up tight in a peacoat that was far too thin for this kind of weather. Malcolm tensed, always ready for a fight, before he recognized the curls.

“Dani?”


	8. movement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> truly, all this chapter proves is that i am very interested in my characters making each other tea. enjoy this chapter!!!

“Dani?”

She shivered, her teeth chattered together. “I’ve been buzzing for ten minutes,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Malcolm said. He nearly touched her elbow as he stepped towards the door but instead he curled his fingers into a fist and unlocked the door.

They walked up the stairs together in silence. Malcolm did not know what she was doing here - she was meant to be on a date. Or, at this time, enjoying the end of the date.

“I had to talk to Ainsley,” Malcolm said, shrugging out of his coat and adjusting the thermostat when he stepped into his apartment.

Dani wrapped her arms tighter around herself. “I - I should have called,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you okay?” Malcolm asked.

“Just cold,” she said.

Malcolm stepped over to the cupboard and rifled around until he found a blanket. “Go sit,” he said. “I’ll bring you some tea.”

He shook the blanket out and wrapped it around Dani’s shoulders. She grabbed it and padded over to his couch, curling up in the corner and shivering. Malcolm wondered what the fuck he was doing as he set about making her Earl Grey tea. Two sugar, dollop of milk, just the way she liked it.

He brought it to her and sat down next to her. She wasn’t shivering as hard, but she held the tea against her chest, as if it could warm her up.

“What happened? I thought you had a date,” he said. Was it weird that he remembered she was on a date? Would he ever feel less awkward around her?

Dani shrugged, sipped her tea. “I did. It didn’t work out.”

Malcolm looked at her. She was closed off and she had come to his apartment after a failed date. Her hair was messy, her makeup was smudged. “What happened?”

She shook her head, stared down at her tea.

“Did he hurt you?” He asked, sitting up. He would call Gil right now, stay with her through everything.

“No, I’m fine,” Dani said.

Malcolm relaxed back into the couch. He let his breath out. “Why did you come here?”

“I ended the date early,” Dani said. “We had, like, zero chemistry.”

He blinked. He twisted his hands together in his lap, fingers sliding against each other. “Oh.” After a beat, he added, “I’m sorry.”

She waved her hand. “It was my fault. I had something else on my mind.”

Her shivering had abated. He was less worried about taking her to the hospital for hypothermia. “Something else?” He asked.

Dani glanced at him, sipped her tea. 

His brain worked overtime trying to figure it out. He did not want to get his hopes up - she wasn’t talking about him. He had just spent an entire freezing walk convincing himself that a relationship between them would never happen to find Dani on his doorstep.

“Dani, I’m really bad at subtext so-”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about  _ you _ ,” she said.

Malcolm short-circuited. He blinked and stammered.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m making it weird.”

“No,” Malcolm said. “No, you aren’t. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, either.”

Dani grinned and set her tea on the coffee table. She shrugged out from under the blanket and moved closer to him.

Malcolm raised his arm and Dani snuggled into his chest. She fit perfectly against his chest, her shoulder in his armpit, and with an ice-cold hand, she took his right hand with her left. He forgot about how moody he’d been earlier.

“What were you going to ask me before you went home this afternoon?” Dani asked.

“If you wanted to get drinks,” Malcolm said. “With me. A date.”

Dani snorted. “I knew it wasn’t just a ride home. You were too pouty for that.”

“Ainsley called me a bitch earlier.”

“She’s my favourite out of the two of you. Just for the record.”

Malcolm snorted. “I’m sorry, she’s straight.”

Dani grinned and their faces were so close and Malcolm did not know what else there was to do. He closed the space between them, kissed her. Her face was still cold, but it didn’t matter.

It was awkward, both of them straining their necks to kiss each other, and Malcolm pulled away first. This time was better. No questions hung over their heads, they weren’t performing.

Dani shifted, faced him, and kissed him again. He wrapped a hand around her waist, the soft fabric of her blouse bunching up against his hand. Her hands, still cold, brushed up to his hair, tangled in it, as their mouths moved together.

Malcolm followed her lips when she pulled away, her fingers working at his tie, at the buttons of his shirt. He flinched when she ran a hand over the skin.

“Your fingers are cold,” he mumbled, looking at her.

Dani laughed. “So warm me up,” she said, kissing at his jaw.

“We - we should probably -” he was cut off when Dani kissed him again. “B-bed.”

She let the kiss linger before she pulled away and stood up, offering him a hand. He pulled himself up and glanced at Sunshine, who sang loudly at them. He stopped and threw the blanket over her cage after he checked that her water was full. She was just a bird - nothing in comparison to the Great Dane that had watched him lose his virginity - but she was still an unwelcome voyeur.

Dani kicked off her shoes and pulled him in when he invaded her space. She kissed him again and Malcolm thought about trying to keep count so he would know when they hit one-thousand. His brain, however, was too busy repeating one word over and over again:  _ mine _ .

It was animalistic after the wedding, accelerated with alcohol and high emotions, but this time was slower, more romantic. Malcolm did not shake as he unbuttoned her blouse and he tried not to hiss when Dani’s cold hands pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Her bra was different this time. Last time she’d worn a sleek strapless bra and this time, a smooth, cream-coloured bra. 

Malcolm reached back, confident in his ability to unhook her bra, and found only a smooth band and lace at the back. Dani laughed. 

“It’s a front closure,” she said. 

“Why are bras so confusing?” Malcolm mumbled. He reached between her breasts - somehow much more intimate - and unclasped it.

He pushed her against the mattress and she grinned, her arms spread above her. He hadn’t noticed before, a tattoo under her left breast - script.

“You have a tattoo?” He asked, running his fingers over it. Ainsley had one, too, on her ribs below her armpit, and she had sworn Malcolm to secrecy.

“Yeah,” Dani said. “It’s my dad’s name.”

Malcolm nearly thought about how strange it was to have her father’s name immortalized right below her breast.

“My mom hates tattoos,” she said. “Had to get it somewhere she wouldn’t see.”

“Ainsley has a secret tattoo,” Malcolm said, gently touching the spot on Dani where Ainsley’s little floral decoration sat. 

“I like her more and more,” Dani sighed.

Malcolm snorted and unbuttoned her jeans, tugging them down. “It looks nice,” he said, nodding towards the tattoo as both of his hands were occupied.

“My tits? Thanks.”

He laughed. “You know what I meant.”

He tossed her jeans aside and tugged down her panties. He peppered kisses down her body, starting with her neck, down her chest, over her belly, to her hips. Gently, he ran his fingers up her legs, starting at the knee; her leg was downed with a scratchy stubble. 

Part of him thought that there would be time later to take things slow, that for now he just wanted to bury himself in her, but he wanted to take his time. He ran his finger between the junction of her lips and her thigh and he delighted in the way her hands fisted in the blankets.

Malcolm kissed below her belly button, in the dusting of fine hair, as he pressed his thumb against her clit and the knuckle of his ring finger grazed over her entrance. She gasped, her hips bucked down towards him. He grinned and replaced his thumb with his mouth, kissing her and licking slowly upwards. Dani’s hand came off the bed, grabbed at his hair as her knees came up.

He pushed his index finger into her and he ignored the way his cock strained against his pants. This was about her. The sounds she made, the bitten-off gasps and the shivering groans, made it worth his while. He was not content until Dani’s back arched off the bed and her chest heaved and she whined as she came.

He pressed a few kisses to the inside of her thigh and glanced up at her. His scalp ached where she had pulled too hard on his hair, but it didn’t matter. She was flushed down to her chest and she reached for him.

Eager, Malcolm kissed her again, and her hands made quick work of his belt, his button and his fly. He attempted, still kissing, to fumble in his bedside drawer for a condom, but he lost his focus when Dani’s hand wrapped around his cock. She laughed - the devil.

He fumbled a condom out of the drawer and tore into it. Dani took it from him and rolled it on, her fingers much warmer than earlier. She pushed Malcolm down, onto his back, straddled him. She held his cock in place, lowered herself down onto it, and smirked at the moan she coaxed from him. He reached around, grabbed her hips as she slowly rolled, squeezed her ass.

Dani tipped her head back, arched her back, and Malcolm bucked up against her. She steadied herself with hands against his chest as she moved her hips, rolling them forwards and raising them up. He wondered what he had done right to deserve this. 

She teased his orgasm out quickly - he would have been embarrassed if he hadn’t been on edge from watching her come. He worried he would leave bruises from how hard he gripped her ass as he pressed her into the bed again and licked her to completion again. He also worried that he would go bald from how hard she gripped his hair.

Afterwards, they lay together, Dani’s back pressed into his front, and they watched as it began to snow outside. Malcolm ran his hands through her hair, a luxury he hadn’t had last time.

“My mom wants us to come for dinner on Friday,” Malcolm said.

Dani turned, her nose crinkled up. “Meeting the parents so early?”

He chuckled, pressed a kiss into her shoulder. “You just met my whole family. Though, I could invite Declan, if you want.”

“Don’t bother,” Dani said. “Him and Sophia live in California. They flew back on Sunday.”

“How do you know that?”

Dani pulled away and became a silhouette against the streetlight filtering in through his window. “I followed her on Instagram.”

Malcolm watched her disappear into the bathroom. They had not discussed  _ what _ they were, had not put a label on their relationship, but he could get used to her walking around his apartment completely naked. He thought of their mornings - Dani would go in more often than him, but they could still get ready together, brush their teeth side-by-side and make coffee. She wouldn’t have to sleep against his countertop.

Dani returned and grinned at him from the doorway. “Enjoying the view?”

“I could get used to it,” he said, rubbing at his eyes. 

She padded over and grabbed his restraints from the floor. He held out his wrist for her; she didn’t have to tie any shibari knots today.

“I want this to be a thing,” he whispered.

Dani smiled as she tightened the restraint. “Me, too.”

“You know,” Malcolm said, “I think Gil set this whole thing up.”

She laughed. “Cunning,” she said.

“He told me to take you,” he said. “He knew I had a crush on you.”

Dani fastened his other restraint and peered at him. “You had a crush on me?”

Malcolm nodded. “Of course.”

She pressed a kiss to his lips, chaste and sweet. “I had a crush on you, too,” she whispered. “But it had more to do with your bank account than your face.”

He laughed, pushed her face away as far as the restraints would allow. She laid next to him, pulled the blankets around them, and snuggled against his chest.

“We should go on a date,” Malcolm said. “A real one.”

Dani nodded. “I want the most extravagant date you’ve ever planned,” she said. “Helicopter rides, caviar, and Dom Perignon.”

“I’m rich, Dani, not a genie.”

She laughed. “How about drinks at that cocktail bar in Tribeca?”

“Sounds perfect.”


	9. handmade heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah it's the final chapter! Can you believe I wrote a whole comedy in about a week??? I am so so so thrilled about the response that this fic has received - I absolutely treasure every single nice comment.  
> Also, I'd like to briefly mention that each of the chapters is named after a song, sort of a playlist in and of itself! (except the first one, because that chapter was so short and just needed to set the stage as it were)
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy the ending!

Malcolm worried endlessly that their date would be awkward. They’d spent an entire weekend together and slept together twice but he worried that they would have nothing to talk about, nothing in common. He spent the entire day at work vibrating to the point where Gil asked him if everything was okay.

He managed to overthink everything. Would it be weird if he wore a whole suit to a cocktail bar? He felt desperately underdressed in anything else but he wasn’t sure what the vibe of the bar was. Should he brush his teeth before he left for the date? At least he didn’t have Mother stopping by with a tailor to make sure he looked nice.

He called Ainsley when he got home from work, the hour-long grace period they had granted themselves before they were to meet at the bar.

“Oh, are you asking for another condom?” Ainsley asked.

“No, Ains, I’m freaking out,” Malcolm said, pacing around his apartment. 

With a sigh, Ainsley managed to calm him down enough that he stopped worrying about whether or not Dani liked him - “she’s slept with you twice, you dolt.”

The cocktail bar was bustling with patrons and servers in tight-fitting clothes. He found Dani in a booth, wearing her signature skinny jeans and a hint of lipstick, already drinking something purple. He sat in the chair across from her and crinkled his nose at her drink.

“It’s lavender and blueberry,” she said. “Don’t look at it like that.”

“Usually drinks of that colour are just sugar,” Malcolm said.

“You’re too manly to order a sweet drink?” Dani teased.

“I prefer to taste the alcohol I paid for.”

Dani laughed. “I’m sorry you hate yourself,” she said.

He ordered an Old Fashioned and Dani teased him throughout their date, over their shared charcuterie. It was not awkward or uncomfortable at all - just easy conversation and a level of comfort that Malcolm could not remember sharing with another person. 

They shared an Uber to Dani’s apartment. Malcolm was nothing if not a gentleman making sure that she got home safe. He would get another cab home, if he went home.

“Can I come in?” Malcolm asked after they clambered out of the car.

Dani grinned. “I don’t sleep with people on the first date,” she said.

“We’ve slept together twice,” he said around a laugh.

She laughed. “Come in for some tea.”

When they kissed, she tasted of lavender and blueberry - saccharine and wonderful.

In the morning, Dani drove them both to work. It was obvious with both of them showing up at the same time and Malcolm in the same clothes as yesterday, smelling of Dani’s body wash and deodorant.

Gil raised his eyebrows but said nothing. JT made a few unsubtle jokes about his new taste in scent and asked him if he had ever repeated a suit before. Malcolm nearly burst with keeping his new relationship status to himself but he wanted to wait for Dani’s lead on telling people at work. And it wasn’t as though he could gush to his mother about his relationship - according to her, they’d been dating four months already.

When Malcolm finally told Gil about him and Dani’s relationship after two weeks, he hummed and sipped his coffee, grinning. Malcolm was certain that Gil had planned the whole thing. And he was not mad about being manipulated into a relationship especially if it was his current relationship with Dani.

It did not take long before they had drawers at each other’s houses, toothbrushes and little pieces of each other. Malcolm kept makeup wipes and Dani’s deodorant stocked; she kept a stockpile of his meds, backups in case he forgot his. 

They kept things professional at work. They never fucked in the evidence locker - despite a hundred temptations. They also never corrected Mother on her assumption that they had been dating for four months longer than they had. At every family dinner, Ainsley attempted to get them to slip up to no avail.

It was comfortable and it was perfect. Dani did not mind when he woke her in the night; she often told him stories about her family to soothe him until she ended up falling asleep and he focused on her breathing. Malcolm did not mind waking up with her hair in his mouth half the time.

In the summer, they drove to the Bronx together and Malcolm finally met her family. Dani encouraged him to dress down.

“Otherwise, my sister will think you’re either a businessman or a supervillain,” she explained.

Heeding her advice, he wore jeans and a bomber jacket. He made a remark that together they looked like a pair of supervillains.

Dani’s mother insisted that Malcolm call her by her first name, though Malcolm stumbled over  _ Jen _ a thousand times, fighting the urge to call her “Mrs. Powell”.

“Mrs. Powell was my mother-in-law,” she said, handing Malcolm a beer. They sat outside on the patio, in the shade of the house, surrounded by the various plants that she kept. 

“Noted,” he mumbled.

“His mother has described him as  _ socially bizarre _ in the past,” Dani said, holding Malcolm’s hand. 

Jen waved her hand. “He’s not as bad as that  _ Khalil _ fella you dated.”

“ _ Mom _ ,” Dani hissed.

“So, uh, Jen,” Malcolm started, squeezing Dani’s hand. “Impressive garden.”

Jen launched into a story about the garden, about how Dani had loved playing in the dirt when she was little, about how her father spent most of his time in the garden when he wasn’t working. Malcolm mostly wanted to see photos of Dani as a child in the dirt, but he hummed and nodded where appropriate. 

Dani’s younger sister, the purported love of her life, arrived after school and Malcolm did not need any baby photos. She was a carbon copy of Dani, only smaller and younger. She had the same sense of wit as her sister, dry and snappy, and Malcolm took an immediate liking to her. 

At one point, Dani and her sister disappeared into the house to grab plates for dinner, leaving Malcolm awkwardly alone with Jen. He sipped his beer to avoid making conversation.

“How long have you two been dating?” Jen asked.

“Ten months,” Malcolm said before he shook his head. “No, sorry, six months.”

Jen laughed. “She told me you two cooked up some plot to convince your mother you were dating.”

“And then we… fell for each other.” He peered at Dani through the sliding glass door. Her house was nice, all middle-class charm, and not populated with portraits of ancestors long dead. 

“Are you going to propose?”

Malcolm choked on his beer - nearly spat it all over his lap. “Uh, well, I haven’t - that’s - we aren’t…”

Jen laughed again, the same cadence as Dani’s laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m just teasing you.”

He let his breath out, though he still avoided eye contact in favour of watching Dani.

“But it’s obvious you care about her. You two are good together.”

Jen’s approval bolstered him through dinner. He liked to think that he came off as charming rather than socially bizarre despite the fact that he repeatedly called Jen “Mrs. Powell”.

Dani drove them home. She said that she didn’t trust Malcolm to drive after he’d been drinking, even though he protested that it was one beer.

“You’re a lightweight,” she said, spinning his car keys in her hand.

Malcolm rolled his eyes and sat in the passenger seat. “It’s not my fault,” he said.

Dani squeezed his shoulder gently. “Sorry, babe,” she said. “Was my mom okay?”

A note of anxiety floated under her words, visible in the way she pressed her lips together, glanced at him through the corner of her eye.

“Yeah,” he said. “She’s great.”

Dani let her breath out, nodded. “It’s been a while since she met a guy I’ve dated. Couldn’t bring Xavier home to her, you know?”

Malcolm chuckled at the thought of a drug dealer fumbling through a meet-the-parents dinner. “Who was Khalil?”

“My ex,” she said. “I was twenty-two, in the police academy, and he was a detective.”

“So you have a thing for cops,” Malcolm teased.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Bright,” Dani said. “He was a dirty cop.”

“So, you have a thing for bad boys?”

“I turned him in. Shady stuff like skimming drugs from evidence, selective enforcement, racial profiling. He lost his job, I thought that was the end of it.”

She kept her eyes on the road. Her shoulders tensed and she took a breath as they stopped at a red light.

“To make a long story short, I’ve got a restraining order against him.”

Malcolm looked out the window. He had suffered a thousand mistreatments but never that. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s been a long time,” she said. 

Silence fell over them. Malcolm did not want to threaten violence against Dani’s ex-boyfriend - those things were in the past - and he did not want to dump pity onto her. So many people had dumped pity onto him for the things he had suffered and he hated it. 

“You know, I did hear you almost choke on your beer,” Dani said. “What did my mom say to you?”

“Nothing,” Malcolm said. His voice was too high and entirely unconvincing.

“Malcolm.”

“She asked if I was going to propose,” he said, sighing and rubbing his forehead with his right hand.

“And? Are you?” Dani asked, looking at him.

Malcolm gaped at her, eyes wide. “Not here! Not - not now!”

Dani laughed. “I know, I know, I’m sorry.”

He relaxed back into the seat and chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “You can’t frighten me like that.”

“Like mother, like daughter.”

After another six months, Dani had mostly moved in with Malcolm. She had overtaken most of his closet space and she had littered pieces of herself around the apartment - curl treatments in the bathroom and her jewelry on top of the dresser. She even had a pack of her birth control pills in with his menagerie of meds and she had brought home new food for Sunshine a few times.

It was November again and the world was cold again and Dani suggested they go to Niagara Falls for their one-year anniversary - “it’s better on the Canadian side!” Malcolm did not hate the idea of driving another six or seven hours with Dani, Taylor Swift blaring over the speakers of his car.

He could not get a reservation at the estate where Harper had hosted her wedding (which was probably for the best) but they had a hotel in Niagara and they would drive up together on Friday for a relaxing weekend together. So many cases had come through the precinct. They deserved time to themselves.

Malcolm received a package on Thursday, which he found after returning from work. It was from Ainsley, wrapped in glittery wrapping paper. He was always wary of packages after a hundred bomb threats and the hand sent to him from John Watkins. 

Dani peered over his shoulder as she set about making herself tea. “Is it a birthday present?”

Malcolm glared at her. “You know when my birthday is,” he said. 

She laughed and kissed his cheek. 

Malcolm attempted to undo the tape without spilling too much glitter on his countertop. Otherwise, Sunshine would try and peck it up the next time he let her out. Inside, a card that wished him a safe and happy anniversary trip. Once he pulled all the paper off, the gift was revealed: a box of condoms. 

Dani laughed. “There’s a note on the back,” she said, pointing.

_ Stay safe! _ written in her curly handwriting. Malcolm snorted. “At least I won’t forget them.”

His phone buzzed and Dani bunched up the discarded wrapping paper before she tossed it in the trash. 

“Hello, Mother,” Malcolm said.

“Malcolm! Come for dinner tomorrow night; I’m throwing a pre-Thanksgiving dinner,” Mother said cheerfully.

“Oh, Dani and I are going to Niagara Falls for our one year anniversary,” Malcolm said. “We’re leaving in the morning.”

Mother paused. “But your anniversary was in August.”

Dani grinned over the lip of her tea mug. “Yeah, Malcolm, wasn’t it in August?” She teased in a whisper.

“No, of course it was, but we’ve had so many cases - super busy - so we had - we had to delay it,” he stammered.

Mother was dangerously silent. “Malcolm, did you lie to me?”

“No.”

“You did!” She sighed and Malcolm could imagine her pinching her nose. “Tell me the truth.”

Malcolm bit down on his lip. “Dani and I started dating after Harper’s wedding.”

“I guess I could forgive your lying,” Mother said. “But only because I know you’re happy.”

“Those blind dates you set up for me were awful,” Malcolm admitted

“Perhaps not my best moment. Have a good trip, dear. Happy anniversary.”

Dani laughed as Malcolm hung up. “You had to know that would happen eventually, right?”

Malcolm grinned. “You were dropping hints, weren’t you?”

Dani shrugged. “I plead the Fifth,” she said. “But also, absolutely. You set yourself up for this trap. It’s just good that I decided I love you.”

Malcolm kissed her quickly. Her lips were tea-warm and tasted of Earl Grey. “I love you, too,” he said. “I’m going to pack.”

“Don’t forget the condoms!” 

Malcolm snorted and padded over to his open suitcase on the floor. He dug in his drawer and counted out a few bundles of sock pairs. One in particular, sitting by the back, was especially important. He squeezed it to make sure - yes - it was still there, a circular indent in his cotton socks. A diamond ring that would hopefully be on Dani’s finger when they came back to New York City. 

**Author's Note:**

> please leave a comment, kudos, or come chat on [my tumblr](https://bibright.tumblr.com) if you have any questions!


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